
i.ihirHffijfiu 


ir^ 


ffiijji 




f/in/A-fjn'l 


w/Mm 


■ifimfljflli 




wwui iWt \ ihif mMfim 

' ■‘ M 


Wumm 


■ j 'Ijilili: 

r 

b iniiilf 


irwWffJSfm 

wmmm 
















'riijti 










ll’WTI|i|i||rni<llVlii| 









/ 

’ - <1 


' ’. 1 


- '**1 











r • 

'•■1 


/I 



■ ' '.' 





:rs.' '-■/.I 




•ft/::' 


r;:‘] 

. t 

::' • -. 








■ 




$ 





t UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, f 












c 



( 


f 

V ’ 




/• 


■• .y 


I * 




% * 


» « 


• fv 




I » ^ 




t 


.'‘J 






V ; 






/T 


\ 


f . , 






sT*' • 


f , ji tf'y • 

■ ^ - V i ?.• ^ v*.. • • •' 

■ 'n^'- c ; ■, 

'. s- 'V'" ‘'■' 


4 


I - 


V. 


. V 

♦ 




» , 


7 r 


•.>- 


^ *4 


■ i ' 

■ ■ -i ••»• . 

'•\ I K r 




- t P 

t 


1.;? 




, f 


* k 


A/ ^ % •• ' ■ 

fc»£ ^ * I' 

► ' 4 r .vSfiff’. ^‘j, . \ ^^ 




'Am.' • 


<<j^ - 


. I 

» ^ 


\3 


* 1 , ® • » 

P- 


^ \. >> 




' ■ ■' r -. . ■■ 

^ Si '•■:•. ^■^ 

. & '• A- •" ' > • . ' - ■•. - 


'A 

U, 


f *.* ^ 




r . > 


-t;* • yy 

M * 1 r • 





- ' V, •.' /•* 

iv-' 

t* 

* ; ■ . ; £^ ifr .. .• 

• ' « 



* : ^ 

. • 


• • 





r* 


• / 



Lvr.-.V V 

*■ 

• 'i Ir^ , ■ 

„• . ■> ^ 4 .. • . • , 

• -. rx. '• 

» 1 - 

■ v •:r. 

. P ^ ■" 

« I 




. * 

* Y 


•K 


* i * . ^ » 


.N 4 •* * 


■< • 


» * > 


-:;X- c- 


% 



I ' 

* fT 




« 

'• 


'V 


♦ . >• . y 

uV 


< # 4^ ’ {*'* 

• . *j\: 

t ' . » 


♦ -A. -• ’ • 

i(j- 


• 5 


’• i>l/ >• i 

■ ^ • j. ' .'^^AS4 

• ^ 'w» 


' v,‘’» ^ 


‘ ^ * n * • .VC Y * ^ ^ ^■■Mb 'AMElvV • ’ i< 

'■ --S ■-.. . ■?.•;’■ ' 






4 # 


« 

• S 









•)) 



SI 


1 




k 



♦Vv. 1. 


I 


. ^•••' :v 

:.. '.V v j 




*4 

I • V 



« 


* 





i L^. 



-rr 





•. i 

.••Y' 


I * 




fM 
I v» 
% 









A' 


1 'i . 




• r*F ”( 


‘ifsl 






» i: 




/ ^J 








k'' 


3 -^ 


‘7 





•w » 


• » t«'^ >ir I 

V., •' ' >j 

- .k ir ^ 

'5*/* *^1 




. f. 




rr '. 






•>.l 




ii > 


‘Iff ■'-■? 

I 1 ' t ' ^ , 


✓ 


f 






1^ ' 


V-. V*- 






> ’ Vr 


4. '''■'>' ..1 •: '''■.■ ^(. ' 

». ■■ • J . , A. < ^ 


C r* 




*''.- 4J* ' & 




U;, 


M 


\ • 




■ 


• » 


^ . • i 


•.?^.'*J 


•^ '' 


. *; ■■ 


'V 


W: 




fi 




ri 


Li “s 


• fi 






kJp, 


VI'. 








Frii 


'i' 


.4- 




>i 


ti- 


»v,ik ... 




»• I 




•’ 


« } 


! >y 




/ASit-v'Mgy.V . ..vlLe-. - - .v.'^.- ..’> v •,'.- 

"* • ' ' ,v -iiA •'*-1 ' 


■.• A 


i • ' .u . — _r J 

V » ”•*. * •* ^ 

./• ■ ; '■* 
E?x^ .4M' 4 v^v^./ .»' ' f' < \ ' * ja» 

■4/rr*,’^ • .* V "{sIa VfiliSi,:; 1 . v.-. 


r*— tlS 


« % 


r 




lUV'ir-i 1 '--' .^'. ■ ' 


.r 




Mi 




vV*i' 




>< * t i 


!•%-. 


^ -J? 


ij-' 




vtl 


ff 




./.u 


> 

_ . m 


Ic - L, 


« * 1. 


♦ _/ iV 


r» 







If 


.■i 


7-r 

si, I' I • r . 




I/' 




f 


:i‘ 7 "^, 


*\.i\r 




r= 


< K» 

•.-T. 


« 




•' Counting out some money he gave it into the hand ot 
the young girl.” — Page 138. 







All for Money. 


BY 

MARY D WINELL CHELLIS, 

% \ 

AUTHOR OF “ THE TEMPERANCE DOCTOR,” “OUT OF THE FIRE,” “AUNT DINAH'S 
PLEDGE,” “ OLD TIMES,” “ AT LION’S MOUTH,” “ WEALTH AND WINE,” ETC. 




New York: 

National Temperance Society and Publication -HouSej 
No. 58'READE STREET. 



1876. 

rr * 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1875, by 

J. N. STEARNS, 

In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 


orphans’ press, church charity foundation, BROOKLYN, N. Y. 



CONTENTS. 


CHAPTERS 

I. — Drifting 



PAGE 

• 5 

II. — The Temptation. 

. 

. 

26 

III. — A Girl’s Decision . 

• • 

. 

48 

IV. — The Price of Money . 

• • 

. 

69 

V, — ^The Corner Store, 

• 

. 

. 86 

VI. — The Fairy Prince 

• • 

. 

108 

VII. — Pure Liquors . . • . 

• • 

. 

. 129 

VIII. — A Brother’s Remonstrance 

• • 

. 

145 

IX. — The Old Apple-woman . 

• • 

. 

. 171 

X. — A Laudable Industry 

• • 

. . 

193 

XI. — Poor Pat. . • . . 

• • 

. 

. 212 

XII. — A Moderate Drinker 

• • 

. . 

232 

XIII. — Deceived 

• • 

. 

. 249 

XIV. — The Wanderer’s Return . 

• • 

. 

264 

XV. — A Revelation. 




XVI.— An Unexpected Meeting . 

• • 

. 

297 

XVII. — Consistency .... 

• • 

• 

. 316 

XVIII. — Right at Last . 

• • 

. 

332 

XIX.— Decision 

• • 

. 

345 








• • f 




rf * • ' 


' 1 




■'r ~i •,■ \ 1 ' 

# 


4^ 




» I 





I t 



» 


^ ...... 

' ■ ^ ^ ftfS^ - • ♦ j •■r. *,( -i 

^ .> • ^,... .1 ^ » • , . ■ ^ - 

' M ••- 


'(, r 


Jri 


.* > 




/ . 


■^ ■ 1 V _ i 

« _ > *.* 


'T, 


V-;l :V:i' *. 


' U* fkt' 4 


* • 'ix** '' ' 

V‘;'>‘'dV/ I?' 




^ > 


i»V • 


r-'-j 




k^- ‘-a ..%'<. .i-T.^ 



* 4 


If 







i » 


, V . 




•' .. ■ - 

*-.»-•. I 


» 




.• r 







PK 


;<• 


-' * ' 



> 4 




• I 





ALL FOI^ MONEY. 

CHAPTER L 

DRIFTING. 

T was a late November day. The snow 
fell continuously ; while fierce gusts of 
wind swept it in eddying whirls through 
the village street. Trees, which but a few hours 
before had stood like sentinels grim and tall, 
seeming to bid defiance to the elements, now 
bent and swayed as the blast went by; and 
sharp was the conflict waged between opposing 
forces wherever a leaf clung to its parent stem. 
Winter’s herald could brook not the tiniest ban- 
ner which had been unfurled in honor of other 
monarch than his own. 

It was a study to watch the quivering and 
fluttering of a faded, battered leaf, still battling 



6 


All for Money, 


for its place until forced to yield to superior 
might. Then, torn from its anchorage, it drifted 
hither and thither, sometimes finding short rest 
in some sheltered nook, and anon pursuing its 
trackless course. 

A flock of birds appeared, poising themselves 
lightly upon slender twigs and drooping shrubs ; 
or leaving their footprints in the untrodden 
snow, as they ate daintily of the grain which 
summer suns had ripened for such as have neither 
storehouse nor granary. A moment, and they 
were on the wing, soaring far away like spirits of 
the storm, fearless of danger, obeying the in- 
stinct implanted in their breasts. 

Hermon Wyatt had been gazing for more than 
an hour upon such a scene as I have described ; 
his troubled thoughts not unfitly represented by 
what he saw. He had fancied himself strong, 
when circumstances revealed his weakness. Con- 
science had held him fast to rectitude and hon- 
esty ; now temptation assailed him and con- 
science was well nigh overpowered. 

He was not one to see the similitudes of Na- 
ture. He was intensely practical ; rating truth 


Drifting, 


7 


at its real, rather than its ideal value, and count- 
ing that of little worth which did not give tangi- 
ble proof of its existence. But even to him, the 
drifting leaf and soaring bird were not without 
their significance. 

The one was like a human soul held by an un- 
certain tenure to what is deemed right and hon- 
orable ; struggling for a time against adverse 
influences, but surrendering at last to have 
henceforth nor stay nor shield. 

The other was like to a soul stayed securely 
by a firm, unwavering trust in the Infinite ; loyal 
to its best impulses ; passing unscathed through 
the storms and ills of life ; thankful for such as 
God has given, and finding cause for rejoicing in 
the darkest day. 

Something of this found its way to the man’s 
consciousness ; and turning from the window, he 
seated himself in a luxurious arm-chair. Before 
him, upon a marble slab, were vases rare and 
costly ; exquisite pictures set in quaintly carved 
easel frames ; shells from far-off shores, and a 
clock, whose chime of tiny bells reminded one of 
fairy music. 


8 


All for Money. 


The elegance with which he was surrounded 
pleased him. It told of ease and w'ealth. It re- 
minded him of the position he desired to attain, 
and money seemed to him the one good in life. 
The relative whom he was visiting, and by whom 
he was assigned to the most luxuriously furnished 
sleeping-room the house afforded, understood his 
character. Yet in doing this, his host had no re- 
gard to an innate love for refinement, or an eye 
which is charmed with beauty in its most artistic, 
as well as in its most simple forms. 

Not thus had Nature dowered Hermon Wyatt ; 
and life had been too severe a struggle for him to 
acquire much of that culture which develops 
esthetic tastes. It might come to him through 
one he loved, but as yet his higher faculties had 
not been quickened. 

He had accepted the invitation to visit his 
wealthy cousin because he lacked employment, 
and knew not how else to spend his time. More- 
over, he hoped that in some way it would prove 
to his advantage. 

Sitting here in an atmosphere pervaded with 
the warmth of a glowing fire, he had ample op- 


Drifting, 


9 


portunity fot* reviewing the past years. He 
recalled his childhood’s home ; a low-browed 
cottage, weather-stained, and unrelieved of plain- 
ness by the slightest ornament. He remembered 
how close was the economy practiced in that 
home ; how meagre were its resources, and how 
weary were the faces into which he looked from 
day to day. The barest necessities were all his 
parents could afford their children ; and even 
these were bestowed almost grudgingly. 

There was wrong somewhere, but he was no 
philosopher, to determine where this wrong 
might be. He grew up with a bitter hatred of 
poverty. He esteemed it the crowning misery 
of existence, and resolved, at any cost, to rid 
himself of its curse. 

Sunshine and gladness are possible with 
limited means, small rooms, and homely living ; 
but to insure these there must be warm hearts, 
tender sympathies, and loving deeds ; while with- 
out these there will be gloom and unhappiness 
though the mansion be never so stately. The 
best gifts are such as the poorest can bestow ; 
costing at the most only some sacrifice of self, 


lo All for Money, 

and bringing back in return more than has been 
given. 

If but the world would learn this, how much 
of sin and wretchedness would be avoided. If 
but the man whose mental disquiet made him 
far too restless to think calmly or well, could 
have known this, how different would have been 
his future. Nine years before^ at the age of 
twenty-one, he left the country town in which 
he had been born ; and with only his resolute 
will and physical strength commenced his career 
in a large city. He was one to find employment 
readily, so that he was spared the trial of re- 
peated disappointments. He cared little where, 
or how he commenced. He was looking to the 
end, and not for a moment did he doubt that he 
should reach the goal toward which he pressed. 

He had the advantage of a fine personal pres- 
ence. In rustic circles he had been considered 
handsome. His features were clear cut ; such as 
may take on a look of purity and spirituality 
which is in itself a dower of beauty ; or may 
wear an expression at which one involuntarily 
shudders. 


Driftmg, 


II 


Young Wyatt performed his work faithfully, 
and so won the confidence oi his employers. 
Quick to see and do what was for their advan- 
tage as well as his own, he was promoted 
rapidly ; supplying by hard study the deficiencies 
of education which might prove barriers to his 
success. 

At twenty-eight, he had saved a few hundred 
dollars. This he invested in goods which he 
sold at a fair profit, and the venture proving sat- 
isfactory, he decided to engage in business for 
himself. He bought carefully, and discriminated 
well in regard to customers. 

It was no fault of his that after a twelve 
month of prosperity he fell upon evil times. 
There was a financial panic, in which long estab- 
lished houses went down in utter ruin. Men 
who had counted their wealth by millions were 
not sure of so much as a competency, when a 
final settlement should be made of their affairs. 

Hermon Wyatt’s old employers were in no 
need of clerks. It was necessary for them to re- 
duce their expenses in order to meet the emer- 
gency. He could not return to the country. 


12 All for Money, 

His parents were dead. His brothers were 
seeking their fortunes in the far west. His 
sisters were married to men with whom he had 
no sympathy, and for whom he had little respect 
because of their slow, plodding ways. He had 
no friends to whom he could apply for assistance 
even would his pride have permitted this. 

It was at such a crisis that he received a letter 
from a cousin of his mother, and in response 
presented himself soon after at the house to 
which he had been invited. Its owner, Leander 
Harvey, Esq., welcomed him with the utmost 
cordiality, while the lady wife extended her 
hand graciously. 

“ I’ve been intending to look you up for several 
years, but so many things have crowded. I’ve 
delayed it longer than I ought to,” remarked the 
gentleman. “ I saw your name in the paper the 
other day, as one of the business men who had 
done their best to live and then been obliged to 
give up at last.” 

Yes, sir, that is the truth so far as I am con- 
cerned. Except some personal property I felt 
justified in retaining, I have no more than I had 


when I started at twenty-one,’* replied the 
visitor. 

“You are mistaken in that,” was said, de- 
cidedly. “You have the confidence of those 
with whom you have been associated. You 
have established a good business reputation, and 
. that is in itself a fortune. I read as much in the 
paper, and took pains to find out that it was 
something more than a compliment such as men 
pay the printers for. You know a good deal 
more than you did when you were fresh from the 
country ; and, judging by others, you’re better 
looking than you was then ; so you’re not 
entirely bankrupt yet. I sent for you because I 
want some one to start up a business with me, 
and I thought you were just the man to do it. 
I’ll advance all the money that is needed and 
give you a generous share of the profits ; enough 
to satisfy you. I propose to be the silent part- 
ner, and if things go on prosperously you will 
find me as silent as you can wish.” 

“Thank you. One could not ask more liberal 
terms than you offer. But what is the nature of 
the business you propose 


All for Money. 


The two had been acquainted but three days, 
when the real object for which Mr. Harvey had 
sought his stranger relative was thus disclosed. 
They were in his library ; a spacious room, made 
attractive by books, paintings, and busts of dis- 
tinguished men. 

The owner of all this looked up to the frescoed 
ceiling, then down to the rug at his feet ; then 
rose and peered out into the darkness. He had 
expected a different reply from that he had re- 
ceived. His companion was courteous, but 
evidently cautious. He had supposed that his 
offer would be accepted with unquestioning 
eagerness. Now he regarded the questioner 
with something of doubt. 

‘‘ I should not propose an illegal business,” he 
said, at length. 

Of course not. I did not think of such a 
possibility ; but it might be that it would not be 
suited to me. I may not have the ability to 
manage it.” 

“ If you are a good financier there will be no 
trouble. Some of the smartest men in the co^- 
try are engaged in the same business I wish to 


Drifting, 


^5 


establish, and there is money in it. No mistake 
about that. What say } If I’m not mistaken in 
you, you’d like to make money as well as the 
next one.” 

“That was what I aimed at when I left home, 
and what I’ve been driving at ever since. I got 
enough of poverty when I was a boy.” 

“So I thought, and so did I. You begun well, 
and I don’t doubt but what you’d gone straight 
along if it hadn’t been for these hard times. 
Now, as you’ve given up, you’ll have to take a 
new start, and I want you to start with me.” 

“ But I must know definitely what the busi- 
ness is before I commit myself.” 

“ Well, that’s fair. I don’t blame you for that, 
though you see I’m willing to take you on trust.” 

Here the speaker went to a cupboard, took 
from it a heavy cut-glass decanter, and poured out 
a glass of wine, which he offered to Mr. Wyatt. 

“ Thank you, I never take wine,” was the reply 
with which this was declined ; a strong em- 
phasis marking the adverb. It was not the first 
oj^second time he had refused to join his host in 
quaffing the sparkling liquor. 


i6 . All for Money. 

“ I’m afraid you have some fogyish notions 
about it, Cousin Wyatt. I believe in temperance 
with all my heart ; but when it comes to for- 
swearing wine as though it was a sin to taste it, 
I think that is carrying matters too far. There 
never was anything gained in a good cause by 
pushing things to extremes. People crave 
stimulants, and they’ll have them in some form 
or other. For my part, I believe that the pro- 
hibitory laws which have been enacted from time 
to time have only been a hindrance to the tem- 
perance work. 

“ There’s something in the breasts of freemen 
which rebels against arbitrary legislation. Why 
should a body of men say to their constituents, 

^ There are certain beverages which we consider 
injurious ; and because we have the power in 
our hands, we will make it inconvenient, if not 
impossible for you to use them. We will make 
the sale of .such beverages illegal ; and whoever 
dispenses them shall be held amenable to the 
law, as having committed a crime.’ That is 
what I call arbitrary legislation. How does it 
appear to you ?” 


Drifting, 


n 

“ Not as it does to you. If the sale of intoxi- 
cating liquors is an injury to society, I don’t know 
why there shouldn’t be a law against it, as much 
as against theft and robbery. There are thou- 
sands of men in danger of becoming drunkards, 
where one is in danger of becoming a thief or a 
robber. I never questioned the right of our legis- 
lature to regulate the liquor traffic, or even sup- 
press it entirely ; although it appeared at our 
late election that the majority of voters in the 
State were opposed to prohibition.” 

'‘That was plain to be seen, and I, for one, was 
thankful for so fearless an expression of dissent 
from the powers which had been. It’s of no use 
to legislate against public opinion ; and that is 
not yet down to entire prohibition.” 

“ Many people, in stating that fact, would say 
that public opinion is not yet up to prohibition.” 

“ I know fanatics would say that, but I am not 
a fanatic. I hope you are not either.” 

“ I have never considered myself such, al- 
though I have always been a teetotaler. I have 
noticed that young men who commence by 
drinking light wines usually end in drinking any 


i8 All for Money, 

liquor, no matter how vile, which will produce 
intoxication.” 

‘‘There is no need of it : no need of any such 
folly as that. I have always used wine in mode- 
ration, and brandy, too, when I chose to ; and 
I don’t think any of my friends consider me in 
danger of becoming a drunkard. I buy my liquors 
of a friend in the city, and feel sure that I get the 
genuine article. He is an honorable man, doing 
an honorable business. He takes out a license and 
does everything aboveboard. Profitable business 
too. When he set up, ten years ago, in a small 
way, he borrowed every dollar of his capital. 
Now he is a wealthy man. If a m.an wants to 
make money, there’s his chance.” 

“ But I am not quite prepared to admit that 
selling liquor, with or without a license, is truly 
honorable business. I suppose you allow your 
guests, as well as the community in general, to 
express their opinions, even if they differ from 
your own.” 

“ Certainly, certainly, Cousin Wyatt. This is 
a free country; and because a man sits at my 
table, and lodges under my roof, that is no 


Drifting, 


^9 


reason why he should indorse my views. I’m 
glad of an opportunity to talk with you on this 
subject. Within the past few months it has been 
kept before the public so persistently that every 
thinking man must have considered it. Do I 
understand you to say that you are in favor of a 
stringent prohibitory law 

“ I voted for men whom I knew to be in favor 
of such a law.” 

“And were you sorry that they were de- 
feated 

“ Yes, sir, I considered it a misfortune.” 

For a moment an angry flush overspread the 
face of Mr. Harvey ; but he had too much self- 
control to allow this manifestation to continue 
long. ‘ 

Soon he said, blandly: “We are at variance 
in this. You have a right to differ from me, and 
I from you. It looks to me as though the radi- 
cal wing of the temperance party killed their 
own measure. They tried to make the liquor 
traffic so odious in the eyes of the community 
that clear-sighted men began to look about and 
see what were the real facts in the case. Why, 


20 


All for Money. 


my friend, who is the very soul of honor and a 
Christian gentleman, has been stigmatized as 
an unscrupulous wretch, making merchandise of 
the souls and bodies of his customers. That was 
the style in which the fanatics talked. Cousin 
Wyatt.” 

“ And no doubt they felt they were speaking the 
truth. They expressed their opinion fearlessly.” 

And recklessly. A man should stop and 
consider before he accuses another of crime. 
The sale of liquors brings an immense revenue 
to the government, and is recognized as a 
legitimate traffic. So long as that is the case, 
I think we may as well accept the government as 
good authority. I have no desire to set myself 
up as an infallible teacher for those whose wisdom 
and judgment are superior to my own. So long 
as our government accepts a revenue from any 
business, it is plain enough to me that none of 
our citizens have cause to consider themselves 
disgraced by engaging in it. If it was entirely 
abandoned, how would the expenses of govern- 
ment be met 'i Our revenue is none too large as 
it is.” 


Drifting, 


21 


But if the amount of capital now invested in 
the liquor traffic were invested elsewhere, our 
country would be none the poorer. Neither can 
any one deny that if the money now spent for 
liquor by the masses were spent for necessary 
articles of food and clothing, there would be a 
vast amount of comfort and happiness where 
there is now poverty and wretchedness. I have 
been accustomed to consider intoxicating liquor 
the curse of our land.” 

“ The abuse of it may be. I am not arguing 
for an indiscriminate use of liquor. No man is 
obliged to use it. In all departments of trade 
the supply is in direct ratio to the demand. If 
flour is demanded, wheat will be grown and 
manufactured into flour. The farmer will do his 
part towards providing for the wants of the 
community ; the miller will do his, and the 
merchant his. If our people chose to take the 
grain as it comes from the threshing machine, 
the miller’s occupation would be gone. Then, 
if we all chose to buy our grain direct from the 
farmer, there would be no place for the merchant. 
If no one cared for grain or flour, how long do 


22 


All for Money, 


you suppose the farmer would raise grain ? Now, 
is not the supply of liquor regulated by the 
demand for it, the same as any other article of 
traffic ? Please answer that question, Cousin 
Wyatt,” added Mr. Harvey, with the air of a man 
sure of his position. 

“ The farmer would not raise grain, unless he 
desired it for home consumption, or could dispose 
of it at a remunerative price,” was the prompt 
reply to one question, while the second was 
ignored. . 

“ Of course he wouldn’t. Now, by the same 
process of reasoning, I can show that the liquor 
traffic is a natural outgrowth of the wants of the 
community. The appetite for stimulants is uni- 
versal, and the means of gratifying this appetite 
is confined to no country or zone. To come 
back to first principles, I appeal to you, as a 
sensible man, if the .proper indulgence of an 
appetite which is as natural as the appetite for 
food, can, by any sophistry, be made to appear a 
sin .? That is just the point to be considered in 
this matter.” 

That may be, Mr. Harvey ; but many of our 


Drifting, 


23 


most intelligent men and women would dissent 
entirely from your assertion that the appetite for 
alcoholic stimulants is universal and natural. I 
am a living witness to the contrary. I am 
satisfied with cold water and milk.” 

Yet you drink tea and coffee.” 

“ I do here, but I never drank either at home, 
nor while I have been boarding.” 

“ You would soon learn to care for both, and 
depend upon them, too, if you should use them 
every day.” 

“ I presume I should ; and if I should drink a 
glass of wine every day for three months, I 
should learn to care for it. I have no natural 
appetite for coffee or wine.” 

Well, then, you are an exception to 
the general rule. A large majority of men 
would testify on my side,” said the host, will- 
ing now to waive further discussion of this 
point. 

“ It may be that is true. I know very well 
that the majority of n^en use liquors more or 
less moderately. It seems strange to me, and 
stranger still that a sensible man will allow 


All for Money. 


^24 

himself to become such a slave to any appetite^ 
as the drunkard is.” 

“ It is strange. I agree with you. I never can 
look upon a drunkard without a feeling of 
disgust.” 

Then, Cousin Harvey, how can you object to 
a suppression of the traffic which makes drunk- 
ards 

The gentleman to whom this question was 
addressed heard it with profound astonishment. 
He did not reply at once. He desired time for 
consideration, and made no apology for a pro- 
tracted silence. 

At length he turned to his guest and said 
deliberately : “ I make no pretensions to more 
goodness than other peopTe possess. I have 
money which I wish to invest where it will bring 
me large returns, and you are out of business. 
There’s a well located, first-class liquor store 
to be sold in twenty days. If you will appear as 
its purchaser and conduct the business, I will 
advance the necessary funds. You shall receive 
such a per centage of the profits as will satisfy 
you, and in ten years you will be a rich man. 


Drifting, 


25 


Don’t answer me now. Take time to think of it. 
Stay with us for a fortnight, at least ; and then 
if you see fit to decline my offer I shall take no 
offence. However you may decide, I shall be 
glad that I have made your acquaintance.” 






CHAPTER II. 

THE TEMPTATION. 

T was the next day after Hermon Wyatt 
had been brought face to face with the 
great temptation of his life, that he was 
introduced to my readers. As he had said, he 
was a poor man ; and moreover, he had nine 
years less in which to make a fortune than when 
he began the pursuit of wealth. He could illy 
afford to repeat the slow process of saving from a 
salary the means of establishing himself again in 
business. He was in the full perfection of physi- 
cal life ; but to his distorted sense he seemed al- 
most to have passed the meridian of his strength. 
It had been his ambition to write his name in the 
list of wealthy men before age should have 
whitened his hair. His unexpected failure was a 
terrible blow to all such hopes. 



The Temptation, 2y 

After making the proposition which involved 
so much of weal or woe, Mr. Harvey abruptly 
changed the subject of conversation ; yet still 
taking care not to lose sight of his purpose. He 
talked of his own early days, when he, too, 
longed for ample means to enable him to com- 
mand an influential place in the world. 

“ Say what people may. Cousin Wyatt, money 
is king,” he remarked. “ In this country money 
will accomplish almost anything, and the man 
who calculates to do much for himself or others 
must have it. We need money to endow semi- 
naries of learning ; build churches ; and help 
those who have not been blessed with the ability 
to help themselves. My friend, to whom I have 
referred, gives largely for all benevolent pur- 
poses, and is always ready to contribute his full 
share for the public good. What would induce 
us to go back to the style of living our fathers 
and mothers endured 

“ I should wish to be better paid for it than 
they were,” was the reply. 

I think you would. It was pinching to make 
buckle and strap meet, and then finding a gap 


28 


All for Money. 


after all at the end of the year. So they man- 
aged to drag on, worried, and troubled, and anx- 
ious ; growing old before their time ; and never 
able to meet the smallest extra expense. For 
my part, I should rather die than be so poor as 
my father was. It takes all the heart out of a 
man. If I had daughters, I would never give 
them to poor men as wives. It would make me 
miserable to see them look like the overworked 
women we meet every day on our streets. Pov- 
erty means overwork for women, who should be 
tenderly cared for.” 

“ Poverty is a bitter thing,” responded Hermon 
Wyatt, who had reason to know that his host was 
not alone in the sentiments expressed. 

He had seen a gray-haired man lead from the 
altar, as a bride, the only woman he had ever 
wished to make his wife ; and even now his 
breath came thick and fast as he recalled the 
words of her father, when some involuntary act 
had betrayed the secret of his love. 

“My daughter has been accustomed to luxury. 
The man to whom she is married must be able 
to provide for her as I have.” 


The Temptatio7i, 


29 


Three years since then, and he was too prac- 
tical to indulge in useless regrets. He flattered 
himself that he might have won the (daughter’s 
love despite her father ; but his pride had taken 
umbrage, and he plunged into business, more 
than ever resolved to wrest from fate her golden 
favors. 

It was late when he left his cousin and retired 
to his chamber to pass a sleepless night. Morn- 
ing found him dispirited and suffering fiom a 
severe headache. 

Mrs. Harvey did not appear at the breakfast - 
table. Her husband apologized for her absence 
by remarking; “Such a wind as we had last 
night always affects her nerves. You will see 
her at dinner, quite well, I hope.” 

There was some attempt at cheerfulness which 
resulted in failure, and the storm was held re- 
sponsible for a gloom with which it was in no 
way connected. 

“ I am very sorry to leave you, but I am 
obliged to go away on business to-day,” said Mr. 
Harvey, an hour later. “ Please consider your- 
self at home, and make the most of the comforts 


30 


All for Money. 


about you. I wouldn’t go if it wasn’t a matter of 
importajjce that demands attention.” 

Not a word of what had transpired the previ- 
ous evening. The library door was ajar, and 
Hermon Wyatt entered. He was too restless to 
read. He had never been more lonely, and yet 
he did not care for companionship. He glanced 
down the columns of some late newspapers only 
to find them filled with details of the financial 
panic. Failures were occurring every hour, and 
a feeling of insecurity pervaded all business 
circles. 

One item riveted his attention : “ In the gen- 
eral depression of trade, it is a noticeable fact 
that there is no falling off in the sale of liquors. 
Importers, wholesale dealers, and retailers are 
doing a large and profitable business. One 
might argue from this that intoxicating liquor in 
some form is one of the chief necessaries of life. 
If so, our temperance reformers are all wrong.” 

Here was a strong argument in favor of his 
engaging in the liquor traffic. It was not liable 
to fluctuations and reverses. 

True, his prejudices and principles were all 


The Temptaiio7i. 


3 ^ 


opposed to it. He had once been offered a 
clerkship in a wholesale liquor store, and refused 
it with disdain ; although the salary was much 
larger than he could command elsewhere. One 
moment, he resolved to settle the point by 
leaving his cousin’s house : the next he reflected 
that he had his way to make in the world, and 
that here was the only friend from whom he 
could expect any assistance. 

Ten years ! In imagination these years had 
passed, and at forty he was still a comparatively 
poor man. Springing from the chair in which he 
was seated, he rushed through the hall and up 
the stairs to* his own room. 

Instantly he contrasted this with the low gar- 
ret whose bare rafters had been familiar to him 
in his boyhood. Here was wealth. There was 
poverty. Money made all the difference, and 
money he must have at any cost. 

He did not profess to be a Christian. Why 
should he set up a higher standard for himself 
than was maintained by the church } If other 
men could be accounted honorable while dealing 
in intoxicating 1 iquors, why could not he ^ If 


5 ^ 


All for Money, 


others were extolled for benevolence, when their 
benefactions were the direct gains of pandering 
to a depraved appetite, why might not he join 
their ranks ? 

This was sheer sophistry, as he well knew ; yet 
he welcomed it as sound logic, and allowed his 
fancy to revel in dreams of magnificent wealth. 
He possessed houses and lands. His ships sailed 
away to far off lands and returned laden with 
precious cargoes. His home was palatial in its 
elegance. His wife — for his home must have a 
mistress — was the cynosure of all eyes. 

Was it the moaning of the wind, or a cry of 
pain from his own heart which sent him to the 
window as the storm birds flitted past with un- 
ruffled plumage ? How he envied them ! Duty 
and inclination were never at variance in their 
domain. The supply of their daily wants con- 
tented them ; while he was ever struggling and 
never attaining. 

Near his old home was a hill, crowned with 
three majestic oaks, beneath whose wide-spread- 
ing branches he had often rested. He longed 
now for the freedom and sense of isolation which 


The Temptation. 


33 


he had experienced nowhere else as there. He 
would bare his head to the tempest nor shrink 
from its fury. 

He was braVe and strong*. No one ever branded ^ 
him as a coward. • Had Leander Harvey stood 
before him then he would have replied to the 
gentleman’s proposal as his better nature dictated. 
He could have gone out to life-long poverty, if 
need be, without one feeling of regret. 

He turned from the sternness without to the 
softness within, and a change passed over him. 
The oak-crowned hill was but a bleak, desolate 
eminence, offering neither shelter nor refresh- 
ment. The atmosphere was cold and piercing ; 
not free and invigorating. Isolation was but 
another name for positive wretchedness. He 
could not forego the advantages proffered 
him. 

This he was fain to regard as a final decision, 
and took up a paper he had brought from tke^^ 
library. The first article upon which his eye fell 
was headed : Another victim of the liquor 
traffic.” He threw down the paper, but some- 
thing impelled him to its perusal. 


34 


All for Money. 


A young man with a family dependent upon 
him had been induced to sell his services to a 
wholesale liquor dealer, simply because the latter 
was the highest bidder for these services. The 
man was reliable and strictly temperate ; the 
right man for his position. So said his employer ; 
and those who had remonstrated with him hoped 
their fears would prove groundless. 

The story was told in few words. The fumes 
of the liquor appealed to his senses. He tasted, 
and his doom was sealed. His downward career 
was short. In less than two years he was a con- 
firmed drunkard, realizing his degradation, and 
yet unable to escape from the thraldom of a bru- 
tish appetite. Life became intolerable, and he 
died by his own hand, leaving those who loved 
him to mourn his untimely death. 

The concluding paragraph of the record was as 
follows : ‘‘ The late employer of the deceased, j 

after paying all funeral charges, and giving other 
substantial tokens of his sympathy, invested two 
thousand dollars for the benefit of the bereaved 
family. Has he returned a just equivalent for the 
life of the husband and father } Is the value of 


The Temptation, 

a human soul to be estimated in dollars and 
cents ?” 

‘‘ No ! A thousand times no !” was the quick 
response which fell from the lips of the reader. 

A shrill whistle announced the arrival of a 
railroad train, and not long after, a close carriage 
was driven to the door. A young girl sprang 
out, who was welcomed cordially by the servant. 

“ Tell Auntie I have come, and will cure her 
headache. It was dismal enough in the cars, but 
I knew it would be pleasant here.” 

“ Yes, Miss Milly ; it’s always pleasant where 
you are,” Avas the answer given to this remark. 

A sweet, rippling laugh replied ; its music 
floating up the broad stairway, and penetrating 
the room in which Hermon Wyatt was sitting. 

This was sufficient to change the current of his 
thoughts, and make him wish to hasten the flight 
of time. At length dinner was announced, as 
usual, Avhen he presented himself faultlessly 
dressed, and looking handsomer than was his 
wont. He was introduced to Miss Legrew,who 
acknowledged the introduction with well-bred 
courtesy, and then quite ignored his presence. 


3 ^ 


All for Mo7iey, 


Dinner over, he retired to the library ; not to 
make business calculations, but to dream of 
starry eyes, rose-bud lips, and dimpled chin. He 
was idle ; else a girl’s face seen for the first 
time would never so have moved him. 

Mr. Harvey returned ; and mindful of his duties 
as host, invited his cousin to the parlor, where 
the ladies were enjoying a tete-a-tete. Millicent 
Legrew raised her eyes to the handsome face 
of the young man, allowing them to rest there 
for a moment, as if scanning his features. Then, 
without a shadow of embarrassment more than 
a child would have betrayed, she turned away^ 
her gaze and addressed her uncle. 

You are surprised to see me here she said, 
interrogatively. 

“ Happily surprised,” answered the gentleman. 
“ I should not have supposed anything would 
take you from the city at this season, but I am 
very glad to see you.” 

“Thank you for that assurance. I left the city 
because it takes money to live there, and I am 
only a poor girl, with lots of finery and no 
fortune.” 


The Temptation, 


37 


“No fortune, child ! Have you lost it ?” 

“Yes, the whole has gone at one fell swoop. 
I had enough to bring me here, and thanked my 
stars for that. I haven’t told auntie about it 
before. Failures are so common in these days 
they are matters of general interest ; so that I 
trust Mr. Wyatt will excuse me for intruding 
this item of news upon his notice. Mother is 
troubled, and as she v/ould look on the dark 
side, I felt obliged to leave her.” 

Few young ladies would have spoken thus 
frankly. This was the mental comment made by 
Mr. Harvey, and he admired his favorite all the 
more for so doing. He understood why she had 
chosen such a time and place to reveal her true 
position, and he knew better than she could tell 
him how unhomelike her own home must now be 
to her. 

Her mother, a sister of his wife, was a thor- 
oughly worldly woman, who had striven hard to 
render her daughter as heartless and artificial as 
herself. Sometimes it seemed that she had ac- 
complished her purpose, and for weeks Milly 
lived in a whirl of excitement and fashionable 


All for Mo7tey, 


38 

dissipation which left no time for serious thought. 
She was flattered by admiring attentions) and 
dazzled by brilliant anticipations, until she seemed 
the veriest butterfly that ever expanded its wings 
in the warmth of a summer sun. 

Her father was a man of sterling qualities. 
Had he lived, he would have influenced her for 
good ; and even now, in her gayest hours, she 
often questioned how he would have regarded her 
life. 

So far as property was concerned, she had been 
left independent of her mother, and having 
already passed the age when by her father’s will 
it was to 'be at her own disposal, the loss fell 
entirely upon herself. She had the consolation 
of knowing that this loss was the result of no 
mismanagement on her part, as her guardian had 
invested it in accordance with her father’s wish ; 
and but for heavy failures which could not have 
been foreseen, the investment would be secure. . 

“ Why -Milly, child, what are you going to do 
asked her aunt, in a tone of distress. 

“ Going to work,” was the laughing reply. 
‘‘ Mother can’t afford to support me. I suppose 


The Temptation* jg 

I can do something to earn money. I like it too 
well to try to live without it.” 

“ I don’t think any of us would like to try that. 
Cousin Wyatt, here, went down with the crash, 
but I have a presentiment that he will be better 
off for it. It’s best to look on the bright side, 
*and not be easily discouraged,” said Mr. Harvey, 
looking from one to another of his companions, 
and feeling somewhat embarrassed by the com- 
munication which had been made. ‘^Suppose 
now you give us some music, and so drive away 
dull care.” 

The young lady needed no urging. Seating 
herself at the piano, she played light fantastic 
airs : then wild, stormy battle hymns, dying 
away in mournful dirges like the sobbing’s of 
breaking hearts. She paused for a little, then 
touched again the keys in waltzing measure : the 
very perfection of rhythmic melody. 

“You have one gift left, Milly. Your music 
has been a rare treat.” 

“ I am glad that it has,” she replied 
to her uncle’s remark. “ My head aches now. 
If you- will excuse me I will bid you good 


All for Money, 

night and with a graceful bow she left the 
room. 

Mr. Wyatt did not long remain. He was dis- 
inclined to conversation, and judged rightly that 
his friends would willingly dispense with his com- 
pany. 

They met in the morning. Mrs. Harvey was 
courteous and smiling ; Mr. Harvey, hearty and 
cordial. Miss Legrewwas very pale, with dark 
circles about her eyes, and a look of utter weari- 
ness upon her face. 

It was not necessary for her to say that she 
had watched through all the night ; counting the 
hours as they passed ; longing for the light of 
day, and yet shrinking from what the day might 
bring. She sat opposite Hermon Wyatt at the 
table ; and as she glanced at him she wondered 
if the loss of money seemed to him such a terrible 
calamity, while she envied him the ability to 
retrieve his fortune. 

He was very handsome ; and straightway she 
found herself fancying the sensation he would 
create in her set. There was Maud Clifford 
always raving about “ men of magnificent height 


The Temptation^ 


41 


and figure and no one would presume to dispute 
the claims of Mr. Wyatt to these qualifications. 
Bess Cleveland doted upon wavy locks and soft 
silky beard ; waxing eloquent in their praise, 
and exhausting her vocabulary of adjectives in 
their description. Here was all she could desire 
as inspiration for her rhapsodies. 

Not one of these fair girls would have detected 
the lack in the manly face which a skilful reader 
of human faces would have recognized at once. 
Milly did not see it. She was critical, but to her 
the stranger seemed faultless in his personal ap- 
pearance. A month before she would have 
anticipated a flirtation with so desirable a party. 
Now, there was too much of sad reality in the 
present too much in the immediate past to be 
remembered ; and too much of serious work 
waiting for her in the future, to allow her to drift 
into a flirtation merely because a man was hand- 
some and agreeable. 

She was relieved when breakfast was over, and 
she had no further need to keep up an appear- 
ance of cheerfulness. She had been brave and 
almost defiant when she bade her mother good- 


42 


All for Money, 


bye, after having been told that she had thrown 
away her only chance of making a good settle- 
ment in life ; but her bravery was well nigh spent. 

She loved her mother, and it was hard to resist • 
the entreaties of one she loved ; but to marry an 
old man merely because he could count his wealth 
by millions would have been infinitely harder. 
She would not so degrade herself. She was not 
a Circassian beauty, to be sold to the highest 
bidder and wear his chains gratefully, even 
though the chains were of gold encrusted with 
diamonds. She was vain and foolish, but there 
was a limit to her vanity and folly. She would 
never perjure herself at the altar, and make a 
mock of what should be a holy sacrament. All 
this and much more she had said when her 
mother reproached her for refusing the wealthi- 
est man of her acquaintance. 

“You will never have another such an offer,” 
exclaimed Mrs. Legrew. 

“ I hope not,” was the quick reply of her 
daughter. 

“ Mr. Esterbrook has the respect of the com- 
munity.” 


The Temptation. 


43 


** His money buys it. There is nothing in his 
appearance or character to command it. You 
knov/ that, mother. If he was my father I 
could hardly tolerate him. As it is, I am thank-i 
ful that I have a right to treat him as he deserves.’* 

“ What do you know of his character ? You 
have nothing to do with it. It does not concern 
you in the least.” 

“ I am glad it does not. But everybody knows 
him to be an unprincipled, hard-hearted old man ; 
as wicked as he is disagreeable, and ugly look- 
ing as he is contemptible. How could I love 
such a man as he is 

“No one is perfect. You would get over your 
romantic notions after living in poverty for a 
while. Love is well enough in its place, but one 
can’t eat it, or drink it.” 

‘* Better poverty than slavery : and better any 
other slavery than a loveless marriage. I will 
starve in the street before I will ever give Mr. 
Esterbrook the right to call me his wife.” 

“ Then you are no daughter of mine. How are 
you to live 

“ I can work and earn my living. Other girls 


44 fo'i^ Aloney. 

are doing it, and what others can do I can do 
too.” 

“ Other girls are starving in garrets, and freez- 
ing for want of fire and clothing.” 

“ I shall never come to that while I have a 
mother.” 

No, Milly, you never shall ;” and for a mo- 
ment the mother’s heart was touched. “ But I 
have set my heart upon this match,” she added 
directly. “Think of the advantages. You will 
have the most elegant establishment in the city. 
You wdll be the envy of all your companions. 
You can eclipse them all in the richness of your 
dress and jewels. Love is pleasant, but people 
can live very comfortably without it ; while it is 
quite impossible to live without money. I told 
Mr. Esterbrook not to regard your decision a.s 
final ; so you will have an opportunity to revoke 
it. He will call again day after to-morrow. He 
loves you so much, and is willing to lavish so 
much upon you, you would soon learn to think 
of him with grateful respect.” 

“ Never, mother, no, never. I should hate 
him.” 


The Tejnptation, ^5 

“ Then you may be sure Stella Bond will take 
him.” 

She is welcome to him, so far as I am con- 
cerned. Diamonds would become her, and .she 
would pay almost any price for the privilege of 
wearing them. I should pity her though. It 
would be dreadful to be tied to such an old roue. 
That is just what he is, mother ; and his true 
character can be seen through the gilding as 
plainly as you can see his glaring porcelain 
teeth.” 

An unhappy scene had followed this discussion, 
ending finally in tears and bitter recriminations. 
Mrs. Legrewwas ambitious of just the distinction 
now within her daughter’s reach, and would not 
have hesitated at any personal sacrifice by which 
she could obtain it. She did not say that in all 
probability death would soon release the wife of 
Mr. Esterbrook from her marriage vows ; yet in 
her calculations this was by no means overlooked. 
She had been too long accustomed to consider 
possibilities and probabilities, not to lay great 
stress upon this ; but she did not urge it as a rea- 
son why her daughter should marry the old man. 


All for Money. 


46 ■ 

Mr. Esterbrook knew that Milly Legrewwas 
penniless, and with the egotism of such as he, 
fancied she would gratefully accept of what he 
could give in exchange for her youth and beauty. 
To say that he loved her would not be true. He 
Avas not capable of the emotion of love. But he 
admired her, and the time had come when he 
must make some preparation for confinement 
within doors. His wife would be forced to accept 
the thankless office of nurse and companion to 
one Avho had no resources of happiness within 
himself. 

He acknowledged to but sixty years ; yet 
according to the family record in the old Bible, 
Avhich his sister, a poor and lonely widow, 
treasured as .her choicest possession, he had 
already passed the allotted age of threescore 
years and ten. Only an iron constitution, and 
the robust health firmly established by out-of- 
door exercise and regular habits during his early 
manhood, would have resisted the dissipation 
and excesses of his mature life. 

He had been proverbially penurious until a 
fortunate speculation gave him the means of in- 


The Temptation, 


47 


dulging tastes no one had dreamed that he pos- 
sessed, and of which he was himself hardly con- 
- scions. From that time his private career had 
been such as all good men and women must 
condemn. He was unscrupulous in all things. 
Wealth accumulated upon his hands, while he 
was deaf to every call of charity, and his soul 
was beggared. 

A sinister face strongly marked by evil pas- 
sions ; a narrow, receding forehead, and small, 
wicked eyes made up a picture by no means 
likely to please a young girl’s fancy. But his 
horses were magnificent, and his carriages ele- 
gant. His country-seat, recently purchased, 
was such as a queen might choose for her resi- 
dence, and he was the richest man in the matri- 
monial meirket to which Mrs. Legrewhad brought 
her daughter. 






CHAPTER III. 

A girl’s decision. 

ILLY LEGREW excused herself from 
appearing at dinner, and not long after, 
when her aunt was out driving with Mr. . 
Wyatt, she was summoned to a conference with 
her uncle. She came to the library dejected, and 
with laggard steps ; yet smiled as she entered 
and accepted the chair proffered her. 

“Now, Milly, child, tell us all about this mis- 
erable business,” said Mr. Harvey. “ Have you 
really lost every dollar of your property ?” 

“Yes, uncle, every dollar, except enough to 
bring me here and pay my dressmaker’s bill.” 

“ Your mother has not lost hers.” 

“ Oh, no. But, as I told you, she can’t afford 
to support me. I never thought of it till within 
a few days ; but she must have been spending on 



A GirUs Decision, 


49 


her principal the last two years. I have been 
making some estimates of our expenises, and I am 
sure they are more than her -income can meet. 
She has not told me so, but I am as sure as if she 
had. She calculated upon my making a- brilliant 
match, and I have disappointed her by refusing 
to marry the man she has chosen for me.” 

“Tell me all about it, Milly. You can trust 
me, and perhaps I can give you some good advice 
in the matter.” 

“ I should like the advice if it sustains me. 
How I wish my father had lived. I never needed 
him so much as I do now. I can’t yield to my 
mother, and I can’t convince her that I am doing 
right in refusing.” 

“Refusing what 

“ Refusing to marry Mr. Esterbrook.” 

“ What ! Daniel Esterbrook, that old rowdy !” 

“Yes, uncle, and that’ is just what I called 
him, only I Frenchified the obnoxious epithet. ^ 

“T shouldn’t take the trouble to do that even if 
I could. I believe in plain English ; and Dan 
Esterbrook, with all his money, is a low, coarse 
rowdy. So he wants to marry you, does he ?” 


5 ^^ 


All for Money. 


“Yes, sir; he said it would be the crowning 
glory of his life to lay his fortune at my feet.” 

“His fortune is princely, and one cannot live 
without money ; but to be his wife would be pay- 
ing too dear a price. Your mother must be insane 
to think of such a thing. In the first place, he is 
old enough to be your grandfather. In the sec- 
ond place, his looks are a strong confirmation of 
the theory that man descended from a baboon. 
You refused him of course.” 

“ Of course I did, but mother told him not to 
consider my decision final. So to avoid the com- 
ing storm and take counsel with you I came 
here.” 

“You did right. I never thought old Ester- 
brook could be so presumptuous ; but money 
hides a vast amount of conceit as well as a mul- 
titude of sins. I don’t believe in a girl like you 
marrying a poor man and settling down to 
drudge through life, but there should always be a 
decent regard for the fitness of things. It’s not 
necessary to choose between him and poverty, 
liyoyxare a penniless girl. Your mother knew 
you were coming here V 


A Girl's Decision, 5 / 

“ Yes, sir, and she told me you would send me 
back to act as a sensible girl should. I am will- 
ing to work, but I will never marry that old 
wretch.” 

What can you do 

“I don’t know. You see I have never tried. 
I have been enjoying life without thinking there 
was any work for me. Now, as I am determined 
not to be bargained off like a piece of salable 
property, I intend to give my friends due notice 
of my independence. With a little practice I 
could give music lessons, and I could soon learn 
to play a church organ. I was the best scholar 
Mr. Artoni had in the seminary. I ought to be a 
music teacher, and that is just what I will be. I 
will advertise for scholars directly.” 

“ But your mother and your aunt will object 
to that, and I can’t say I shall be wholly pleased. 
I shall be happy to give you a home and provide 
for you as long as you will stay with us. Your 
aunt would be delighted to have you for a com- 
panion ; and v/hether you stay or not, there’s no 
need of troubling yourself about your support. 
It’s a pity if we can’t take care of one little girl.” 


52 


All for Money. 


The tears which had been trembling in Milly’s 
eyes now came trickling down beneath the closed 
lids, and despite her efforts to suppress them, her 
sobs were audible. 

“ I thought I had done all my crying,” she 
said at length. “I don’t care so much about the 
money, if mother wouldn’t feel as she does.” 

“ Don’t be troubled about that. She will feel 
differently when she comes to realize what a 
sacrifice she has asked you to make. Just now 
she is dazzled with the glitter of gold. Did you 
leave her alone .^” 

“ Alone with Cousin Naomi and the servants.” 

‘‘What did Naomi say to you T 

“That I had more sense than she gave me 
credit for, and she hoped old Moneybags would 
keep out of her sight the rest of his life. She 
always approves what mother disapproves.” 

“ She is a sensible woman, with all her oddities, 
and she might have been well married if she 
hadn’t been so particular. I have always won- 
dered that she chose to live with your mother.” 

“ It is strange, but I don’t know what we 
should do without her. She is very capable, and 


A Girl's Decision, jrj 

she has a kind heart, for all her sharp words. 
She always comforted me in my childish troubles, 
I and when I was sick she and father always took 
care of me. She encouraged me to come here 
and tell you all my story. She said you were all 
bound up in making money, but you had good 
common sense and could be trusted in most cases. 
So 5^ou see she had some faith in you and Milly 
smiled as she remembered the patronizing air 
with which Cousin Naomi had made this re- 
mark. 

“I feel complimented,” replied the gentleman, 
smiling in return. “ I am very glad you came 
here, and you may count on me to sustain you 
in your refusal to marry old Esterbrook. The 
wonder to me is that he ever presumed to think 
of such a thing.” * 

“ But he has money, uncle, and it does seem 
sometimes as though people would sell their 
souls for money. I don’t doubt but what some 
girl would marry him. Some girl, too, as young 
and as pretty as I am.” 

The laugh which supplemented this frank 
reference to her own dower of youth and beauty 


All for Mo7iey. 

v/as the very same which had so charmed Hermon 
Wyatt. 

Mr. Harvey responded gayly : There is van- 

ity for you. Your trials have not destroyed 
that.” 

“ No, sir. Why should they } I must make 
the most of my personal qualities, now that I 
have no more solid attractions. I am a poor girl. 
Just think of it. And there is no more reason 
why Milly Legrew should go through the world 
in a gilded chariot, drawn by prancing horses, than 
there is that all other girls should do the same. 
Cousin Naomi said that to me one day last 
spring, and I didn’t believe her ; but *I am 
beginning now to think she told the truth. If I 
could stay here a year and give music lessons, 
uncle, I should be perfectly happy. I’d rather do 
it than anything else I can think of. Isn’t Miss 
Perry getting old-fashioned, or tired, or some- 
thing, so she would be glad to .give up her 
scholars ? You see, I have the latest style at my 
fingers’ ends, and could whirl my pupils along at 
a waltzing rate.” 

“ Perhaps so, Milly. I don’t doubt you could 


A GirVs Decision, 55 

teach music if you should attempt it, and of 
course you would do it well.” 

“ Of course I should. And Miss Perry ” 

“ I’ve not seen her very lately; but the last 
time I met her with a roll of music in her hand, 
she looked so pale and tired I really pitied her. 
She is a very worthy woman, and she has done 
for her parents what few daughters could. Her 
father lost his property after it was too late for 
him to go into active business again, and her 
brother turned out a miserable drunkard, so that 
the support of the family came upon her. She 
was a pretty girl then, not much older than you 
are. She has spent the best part of her life in 
giving music lessons, just managing to make her 
earnings meet the demands made upon them. 
She is forty now. I shouldn’t like to see you 
spend your life as she has, and in twenty )^ears 
find yourself alone, with no one to care for you. 
Miss Perry’s mother died last spring, and since 
then she must have been very lonel)^” 

“Poor woman! I pity her. I don’t think I 
could live alone. I mean to call on her and ask 
her if she has more scholars than she wants ; or 


5 ^ 


All for Money. 


perhaps she would like to take a vacation, and 
let me try my skill in teaching. You are willing 
I should, aren’t you, uncle 

“ I am willing you should call upon her. 
Indeed, I should be very glad to have you do so. 
I am afraid we have neglected her, though she 
lives in a comfortable way, and there’s not a lady 
in our village who can entertajn company more 
agreeably than she. But you had better talk 
with your aunt before you make any plans for 
supporting yourself. I know she will oppose you 
in that.” 

“ But I am used to opposition just now, and 
Cousin Naomi says I ought never to give up 
when I know I am right.” 

“You may be mistaken in your ideas of what 
is right.” 

“Yes, sir, I am very likely to be mistaken. 
But it can’t be wrong for me to make myself 
' useful.” 

This conversation was prolonged until Mrs. 
Harvey and Mr. Wyatt returned from their drive, 
bringing with them something of the vitality 
pervading the clear, cold atmosphere without. 


A Girts Decision, 


57 


You ought not to stay in the house this de- 
lightful day,” said the lady to her niece. “It is 
treason to the weather. If there was another 
hour of daylight I should insist upon your going 
out. You would soon forget your headache.” 

“ I have forgotten it already,” was replied. 
“ Uncle has driven away headache and heartache. 
We have had a nice, cozy chat, and this library 
always did seem to me a real comforting room. 
If I was a book- worm I should take up my quar- 
ters in the sunniest corner.” 

“ You don’t look much like a book-worm,” 
rejoined Mr. Harvey, while the younger gentle- 
man mentally indulged in the most extravagant 
praises of her beauty and grace. 

For the time, she was relieved of the burden 
which had oppressed her, and her spirits rose 
with the occasion. Conscious of the admiration 
she inspired, she delivered herself to the pleasures 
of the hour. She conversed with charming viva- 
city ; investing the most common-place remarks 
with an importance borrowed from her fascinat- 
ing manner. Mr. Wyatt led her to the piano 
and listened enraptured to the music she evoked. 


All for Money, 


sS 

When she retired that night, she forgot to be- 
moan her fate, nor feared what the morrow might 
bring. To talk seriously with her aunt in regard 
to her half-formed plans had seemed a formidable! 
task ; but when a new morning dawned she felt 
not a single misgiving. 

Her face had lost the look which appealed so 
strongly to the sympathy of those who saw her 
the previous day. Breakfast was a cheerful meal, 
over which all lingered as if loth to separate. 

Later, Mr. Harvey went out ; Mr. Wyatt went 
to the library ; and the ladies seated themselves 
in a small room designated by Milly as “ the 
snuggery.” . . 

That’s just the name for such a room as 
this,” she would exclaim triumphantly, whenever 
an objection was made to her homely word. 
“You can call it what you please ; but to me 
it is just a snuggery, where you can think your 
own thoughts, and express them, too, without ^ 
consulting the latest bulletins to decide whether 
they are dressed in the most fashionable style. 

“ Just the place for us this morning, auntie,” 
she said, coaxingly. “ Because, you see, I have 


A Girins Decision, 


59 


a proposc^l to make to you, and I want to be sure 
of you in your most gracious mood. Allow me 
to open the door into the conservatory, so that 
our senses may be steeped in the perfume of 
flowers, and we can fancy that we are living 
where perpetual summer reigns. The lilies and 
the roses ! Oh, auntie, what a beautiful home 
you have 

“ Yes, I think it is pleasant, but I am hoping 
that we shall some time have a more spacious and 
elegant house than this. I like to have every- 
thing about me chaste and beautiful.” 

So do I, and that is just the discomfort of 
being poor. When it takes all your money to 
buy bread, and butter, and* coal, and plain 
dresses, there can’t be any left for flowers and 
handsome furniture. I wonder how it would 
seem to earn one’s own living, and count pennies 
to see whether you could afford a new pair of 
gloves V 

It would be dreadful ! I’ve been thinking 
about you, Milly, ever since you came here, and 
I am very sorry for you. But there is one way a 
woman can retrieve her fortune honorably, and I 


6o 


All for Money. 


am sure that way will be open to ypu. You 
must marry a rich man.” 

, “ I wouldn’t object to that, provided the man 

was handsome and agreeable, and I loved him,” 
replied the young girl, gayly. 

As handsome and agreeable as Mr. Wyatt, 
for instance.” 

“ Now, auntie, isn’t he just splendid ? It’s too 
bad he lost his money. But that’s always the 
way. Most all the rich men are old and ugly, 
and so disagreeable. And to think girls will 
marry them ! I would starve first.” 

“ Then we must take care that the fairy prince 
who comes a wooing you is neither old, nor ugly, 
nor disagreeable. Tf he is, you will reject him.” 

“ Yes, indeed I will, auntie.” 

“ But you must remember, Milly, that you can’t 
expect perfection, and fortunes are not made in a 
day. It takes years to amass a fortune, and men 
will grow old while they are making money.” 

“ But uncle was not old when you were mar- 
ried.” 

“ No, Milly. Neither was he rich. But he 
had made a good start in life, and my father said 


A Girl's Decision, 6i 

he was sure t;o accumulate property. So I ac- 
cepted him, though it took me a long time to 
make up my mind.” 

‘'You loved him, didn’t you 
“ Oh, yes. He was fine-looking, and my young 
lady friends all admired him ; so there was the 
pleasure of knowing that they envied me. I 
really cared for him, too, but then, I was never 
such a romantic little thing as you are. The fact 
was, we hadn’t much money to live on at home, 
and we girls were tired of trying to keep up 
appearances. It is hard work, Milly ; the hard- 
est a woman can do. You don’t know anything 
about it, and I hope you never will. Why, I’ve 
seen the time when I would have been willing to 
work all night to earn enough to buy a neck- 
ribbon, if I could have done it without having 
people know it.” 

“What if people had known it, auntie 

“ We should have lost our position in society. 
You don’t associate with working girls.” 

“ But why shouldn’t I } The girls I see in 
shops are as ladylike as the girls in our set, and 
I don’t doubt they are just as good. There is 


62 


All for Money, 


Hester Downing. She used to be in the semi- 
nary with me, and she was the best and loveliest 
of us all. She- is in a millinery store now, trim- 
ming bonnets, and making the sweetest hats 
anybody can think of. She could always arrange 
laces and flowers more artistically than any one 
else ; and when her father died, she found he 
hadn’t left much property ; so she went to work 
to earn her own living.” 

“ How old is she V 

“ Only a year older than I am. But she is a 
great deal more sensible. She says she could 
make a great deal of money if she could only 
start in business for herself,” 

“ Where do you see her T' 

“ Oh, I go to see her at home. I found out 
how little she gets for the work she does, so I 
wanted to pay her instead of her employer. She 
makes my bonnets, and mothers, too, and you’d 
wonder how little they cost. She has a faculty for 
pulling things to pieces and making them over, so 
you couldn’t possibly recognize the old material.” 

“She must be a treasure for people who need 
to have such transformations accomplished,” 


A GirVs Decision, 


^3 


“ She is a treasure, any way ; and she looks 
prettier than ever in her plain dresses. But 
^you see, auntie, I could never do as she 
docs.” 

V No, my dear. Why should you 

“ Because I must do something to support 
myself. To tell the plain truth, niamma and I 
have had a quarrel, and I can’t expect her to 
share her property with me, especially as she has 
no more than she needs for herself.” 

“ What do you mean ?” asked Mrs. Harvey. 

For answer, Milly repeated the story she had 
told her uncle, expressing her aversion to Mr. 
Esterbrook even more strongly. 

I have heard of him, and, so far as money is 
concerned, he would be an unexceptionable 
match, ’’’said the elder lady, by way of comment. 
“ Couldn’t you possibly overcome your aversion 
to him V' 

“ No, indeed. Neither will I try. The wretch ! 
If he was good he would be unbearable. As it 
is, he is a wicked old sinner, without any 
redeeming qualities. I just hate him !” 

“So much that you can see another woman 


64 for Money, 

surrounded v/ith every luxury as his wife, and 
not envy her ?” 

Envy her ! I should pity her with all my 
heart, only I am not sure she would deserve any 
pity. No one can be deceived in regard to Inm. 
And now comes the grand question, auntie. Are 
you willing I should stay here for a year and 
teach music, if I can get scholars without 
intruding upon Miss Perry T 

Mrs. Harvey looked at her companion in dumb 
surprise, until, when moved to speak, she ex- 
claimed : “You are crazy to think of such a 
thing. The idea of your drudging as a music- 
teacher ! It is perfectly absurd. Stay here one 
year, or five. I shall be delighted to have you 
with me. But your mother will never consent to 
such an arrangement.” 

Decisive as this seemed, Milly Legrew acknowl- 
edged np defeat. She knew her power, and con- 
tinued to plead until she gained a conditional 
assent to her proposal. Miss Perry was univer- 
sally esteemed, and Mrs. Harvey was quite will- 
ing her niece should visit one who had proved by 
actual experience the hardships of a music 


A Girl's Decision, 6^ 

teacher’s life. Content to waive further discuss- 
ion at this point, the young lady hastened to 
speak of other subjects ; coming back at last to 
Mr. Wyatt. * 

‘iHow long is he to remain here she asked. 
“ I don’t know,” was replied. “ Your uncle 
invited him here and wishes to make his visit 
agreeable to him. Now, if he was rich — ” 

“ Perhaps he will be sometime. If I was in 
his place I would be — before I was an old man, 
too. I wonder if he will invite me to drive with 
him this afternoon T' 

“ Leave me to manage that. But don’t flirt 
too seriously. Your mother would never forgive 
me, and I should never forgive myself if I should 
be a party to an unfortunate entanglement. I 
can rely upon your discretion.” 

‘‘Yes, auntie, you can trust me. I am in no 
danger of falling in love with a poor man, how- 
ever handsome he may be. I couldn’t settle 

A 

down in a small way, and do housework till my 
hands grew large, and coarse, and rough. No, I 
couldn’t do that.” 

“I hope you never can. You might as well 


66 


All for Money. 


bury yourself to commence with. I believe in 
the old adag-e : ‘ When poverty comes in at the 
door, love flies out of the window..' ” 

“Well, for all the adage is old, I don’t think 
it ought to be so. Everybody can’t be rich, but 
it seems as though everybody might have love. 
Love don’t cost anything.” 

“Romantic still, Milly. I am afraid it will 
require a great deal of discipline to cure you of 
all your girlish folly.” 

“ And must I be cured } Perhaps I shall be 
an exception to the general rule, and carry my 
romance with me all through life.” 

“ It will be strange if you do. I shall expect 
you to become a sensible, matter-of-fact woman 
within the next ten years ; but I am in no hurry 
to have you lay aside your rose-colored specta- 
cles. They are more becoming than green gog- 
gles ; and it seems sometimes as though we must 
wear one or the other.” 

“ Then I prefer couleiir de rose^ and I thank 
you ever so much for being so patient with me. 
I hope mamma will take me into favor again, but I 
am afraid it will be a long time first. I thir^’ 


A GirVs Decision. 


67 


will call on Miss Perry this afternoon, and then 
if I don’t find her at home, I can call again to- 
morrow.” 

It was not Hermon Wyatt’s fault that the door 
leading from the conservatory to the library had 
been left ajar. Hearing the sound of voices, he 
had attempted to close it ; but finding this could 
not be done noiselessly, he had resumed his seat 
and taken up a new magazine. He might have 
left the room, yet he chose to remain ; and so it 
was that when Mrs. Harvey and her niece had 
finished their consultation, he was tolerably well 
informed in regard to the young lady’s sentiments 
and prospects. He understood, also, how he was 
himself regarded, and cursed his poverty as never 
before. 

As a matter of justice, I should say that his 
conscience accused him for having played the 
part of listener. He was far too honorable to seek 
to wrest from others their secrets ; and now that 
they were in his possession he would guard them 
sacredly. The offending door was shut, and no 
one would ever suspect the revelation which had 
been made. 


68 


All for Money, 


The afternoon was as pleasant as that of the 
previous day, and MillyLegrewenjoyed a delight- 
ful drive. Nothing was wanting which could 
add to her pleasure. She knew she was looking 
her best. Her companion was agreeable. He 
could manage the spirited horses he held in hand 
without for a moment neglecting her, or seeming 
unmindful of her comfort. She threw care to the 
winds, and laughed a gleeful accompaniment to 
the merry music of the bells. 




CHAPTER IV. 

THE PRICE OF MONEY. 

GIRL’S laugh, idle and foolish and 
sweet,” decided Herman Wyatt’s future 
course. When he returned from driving 
with Milly Legrew, he was ready to accept any 
proposal which would ensure to him the rapid 
acquisition of wealth. 

This, Mr. Harvey could plainly see. Yet he 
was too wise to betray his consciousness ; and 
moreover, other interests demanded attention. 
A letter had been received from his sister-in-law, 
in which she complained of the folly and disobe- 
dience of her daughter ; urging upon him the 
duty of sending her home at once. 

“ Milly has some romantic notions which will 
utterly ruin her prospects in life, unless they can 
be driven out of her head. If you can bring her to 



70 


All for Money, 


her senses I shall be thankful. She is beggarly 
poor, and knows no more what it means than 
a baby. It is absolutely necessary that she 
should be here v/ithin three days, or all is 
lost.” 

The young lady thus criticised uttered an ex- 
pression of impatience, as the letter was refolded 
and laid upon the table ; adding : “ That means 
that my mother has told old Esterbrook a plausi- 
ble story to account for my absence, and that 
within three days I shall give him a title to my 
precious self; said title to be witnessed and 
sealed in Grace Church some time during the 
holidays. Are you going to send me back 
she asked, with a smile half defiant and 'half ap- 
pealing. 

No, child, I am not. I would as soon send 
you to perdition as to that old reprobate. I shall 
write to your mother very plainly about him.” 

“ Oh, if you only would, I should be so grate- 
ful. But I think auntie was inclined to agree 
with mamma.” 

“ That was because .she didn’t understand. She 
didn’t know the man’s character as I do. I won- 


The Price of Money, 77 

der what women can be thinking of when they 
smile upon such fellows.” 

“ Why, you see it is the money, uncle. You 
don’t suppose any woman with common sense 
can really like such an cld wretch ; not to say 
anything about loving, honoring and obeying 
him r 

“ I shouldn’t suppose it would be possible for^ 
any woman to love him, and probably he has 
brains enough not to expect it. He counts upon 
his ability to pay in good currency for all the 
favors he receives.” 

“ For once he reckoned without his hostess. 

I kuow it doesn’t seem quite honorable' to talk 
about him as I do, and I never understood how a 
girl of delicacy could boast of the offers she re- 
ceives. 6ut this affair is so absurd, I think I am 
justified.” 

“I think you are. At any'rate I .shall sustain 
you, and I shall enlighten your mother upon , 
some points of which she seems to be ignorant.” 

Mrs. Legrew had expected that her daughter 
would make some objections to marrying the 
millionaire : but she had not dreamed of so pos- 


72 


All for Money, 


itive and persistent a refusal. It must be con- 
fessed that she found herself in an embarrassing 
position. She had manoeuvred to secure the offer 
of marriage so ungraciously declined, and it re- 
quired her utmost diplomacy to appease the anger 
of the mortified suitor. 

She insisted that her daughter had been too 
much surprised to give a considerate reply, and 
that a young girl must be expected to have some 
unreasonable fancies. She even cited her daugh- 
ter’s absence to prove the truth of her assertions. 

To say that Mr. Esterbrook was fully convinced 
by her flattery and cajolery would not be true, 
but he had too much at stake to express his 
want of confidence. He could afford to wait, and 
he resolved to do so. 

He was vindictive. No one had ever made 
him an enemy without feeling the force of his 
revenge ; and even now there was a fearful retri- 
bution in store for Milly Legrew, if she should 
place herself in his power. He smiled, however, 
upon the lady mother ; professed himself the 
most devoted of lovers ; and said with great 
semblance of humility that he ought not to 


The Price of Money, yj 

expect to win the crowning glory of his life too 
easily. 

, Alone in his private room, he scowled malig- 
nantly, muttering oaths between his false teeth, 
and vowing vengeance upon any woman who 
would trifle with him or attempt to deceive him. 
He was in his worst possible humor, as his ser- 
vant found when summoned to do his bidding. 

Three days, and he would knov/ beyond a 
doubt if she whom he had selected to be his con- 
fidential attendant and nurse had decided to 
make the necessary sacrifice. He resolutely 
turned away from the mirror in which he saw 
a too faithful reflection of himself ; took from a 
cabinet a package of papers and began to compute 
his gains for the past week. But even this did 
not distract his thoughts fro’m the unwelcome 
subject. 

Had he known that Milly Legrew was the 
guest of Leander Harvey he would never have 
called again at her mother’s. As it was he went 
at the appointed time, and, to his chagrin, re- 
ceived from the servant a highly perfumed and 
exquisitely written note, which he well knew 


74 


All for Money. 


contained a confirmation of his fears. The mother 
had failed in her plans ; and in place of gratitude 
for her intentions, he cherished the most bitter 
hatred. 

He hastened to his hotel, and after reading 
the first lines of the note, crushed it in his hand 
until the withered fingers relaxed their hold from 
sheer weakness. He then lighted a match and 
burned the crumpled paper to ashes. 

The following evening he was due at a fashion- 
able party, and looking around to decide upon a 
fitting victim to wear the crown of martyrdom 
which he had gilded, his gaze rested upon Stella 
Bond ; a brunette whose sparkling eyes, handsome 
face, and well-rounded figure won for her deserved 
admiration. She rejoiced in her dower of beauty, 
yet she would have exchanged it gladly for the 
plain looks of some of her companions, if with 
them she might have taken the wealth whose 
adornings can so nearly supply the lack of 
personal charms. 

She shrank from the dependent position she 
occupied in her stepfather’s house, and* from the 
grudging allowance made for her wants ; while, 


The Price of Money, 


75 


like Spanish beauties, whom she resembled, she 
was too indolent to apply herself to work of any 
kind. One lesson she had been well taught, and 
had thoroughly learned. She must marry a rich 
man. A fairy prince must be found. Young or 
old, grave or gay, it mattered little. Once 
secured, she would bide the fate to which he 
bound her without a murmur. 

Daniel Esterbrook was as disagreeable to her 
as to Milly Legrew. But she listened to his 
compliments ; smiled in repl)^ and received his 
attentions with becoming sweetness. There 
were a few interviews, almost intolerable in their 
stupidity ; a few drives in which it was possible 
to ignore the owner of the equipage which flat- 
tered her vanity, and the wedding-day was ap- 
pointed. 

The bridegroom elect pleaded for short delay, 
and Stella Bond had no wish to prolong the woo- 
ing. He knew her dependence, and governed 
his conduct accordingly. He brought her rolls 
of money, and gave them to her as freely as 
though they were of little value. For the first 
time in her life she could gratify her tastes with- 


76 


All for Money, 


out counting the cost. Her bridal trousseau was 
the most elegant which had ever been seen in 
the city. Then came the wedding gifts of jewels, 
and shawls, and laces, such as a queen might 
wear. Her most extravagant wishes were gra- 
tified ; but alas, for the price of this splendor ! 

Meanwhile Milly Legrew rejoiced in her escape 
from the toils of her enemies. Her uncle laugh- 
ingly professed himself ready to adopt her, and 
even wrote to her mother that he would gladly 
take the responsibility of providing for the ro- 
mantic girl until she chose to leave him. The 
matter of self-support was not so easily adjusted, 
but there was a prospect that she who was most 
interested would eventually decide it for herself. 

She called upon Miss Perry, who talked frankly 
both of the profits and trials of the work in which 
she proposed to engage. 

“ Then you would begin anew and live the last 
twenty years all over again, before you would 
marry a man who was disagreeable to you, 
wouldn’t you T said the young girl triumphantly, 
after a somewhat prolonged conversation. 

“ Indeed I would,” was the quick reply. “ That 


77 


The Price of Momy, 

is just what I have done. It is not a pleasant 
thing to be poor ; but such poverty as people 
know who can have comfortable homes as the 
reward of hard work, is not a curse. I have often 
thought if my parents could look upon it as I 
did I should have nothing to regret. The world 
is making a great mistake in sacrificing so much 
of truth and honesty in the mad haste to be rich. 
You can’t understand this as we older people do,” 
added the speaker, with a smile which quite 
irradiated her face. “I have been looking out 
from my retreat, and I have found more cause 
for rejoicing than for repining. Then there is 
a compensation which comes sometimes with the 
necessity of making the most of limited means. 
We learn how much beauty there is in homely 
things ; and the best we can command is seldom 
so bad that it has not something to relieve it 
from positive discomfort.” 

I am so glad to hear you sa}^ that. Miss 
Perry ; because you sec I have always heard 
people talk as though it took a great deal of 
money to be at all comfortable or happy.” 

“ Happiness is not for sale. It comes to us as 


7 <? 


All for Money, 


naturally as the air, or sunshine, provided always 
that we are worthy of it.” 

“But think. Miss Perry, how many complain.” 

“ Yes, I hear complaining every day, and some- 
times I am tempted to complain myself. But I 
have fewer trials than some of my neighbors, if 
they do pity me for my hard lot.” 

“ You must be very tired.” 

“ Yes, and I should be if I was differently situ- 
ated. You have been very tired after attending 
a fashionable party. Everything was not just as 
you would have liked it.” 

“ I know it. There is almost always some- 
thing wrong. Then I couldn’t avoid being tired. 
But I could rest afterwards, and teachers can’t 
•always rest when they need to.” 

“ And yet'you propose to be a teacher.” 

“ I do, if there is room for me here without in- 
terfering with you.” 

“ There is plenty of room. Miss Legrew. I 
will recommend you to some of my older pupils 
who will be very glad to practice under your di- 
rection. Now that m.y expenses are reduced, I 
can afford to give myself a little leisure. It 


The Price of Money, 


79 


sometimes seems hardly worth while for me to 
work at all, when I have no one to share the 
results of my work.” 

Milly was delighted with' her visit. She 
thought Miss Perry quite a charming woman, 
and expressed her opinion with great enthu- 
siasm. 

“ I don’t wonder your mother calls you 
romantic,” said her aunt. “Your feelings will 
tone down by and by.” 

“I hope not, auntie. I like to be just so 
much pleased with people and things.” 

“ But you are not alwa3^s pleased.” 

“ Then I am displeased. But there is a hearty 
feeling, and that is something to be glad of. 
When I was with Miss Perry, it didn’t seem 
such a misfortune to lose my money.” 

“ It may not be in the end, but I think you 
love ease and luxury, and it takes money to buy 
them.” 

“ I suppose it does, but as I have not the 
money, I must do without.” 

“ I wouldn’t be too sure of that, Milly, child,” 
said her uncle, who had overheard her last re- 


8o 


All for Money. 


mark. ** All the money in this world is not in 
the hands of old, ugly men. We will surprise 
your mother some day. You can stay here for a 
year or two and make yourself happy, if your 
mother does not claim you. If your happiness 
depends upon listening to wretched music and 
guiding awkward fingers over piano keys, you 
shall even do that. I shall make no more ob- 
jections to it, only don’t be in haste to com- 
mence. Wait for a month and see what will 
happen.” 

Mr. Harvey was really sorry for the misfortune 
of his niece, yet he was too much elated at hav- 
ing been able to recall an unsafe investment of 
his own, to indulge in undue anxiety. He had 
now a large amount of money in hand, and it 
was against his usual practice to allow his treas- 
ures to corrode from neglect. Each dollar must 
earn for him another. 

He was impatient to know of a surety how 
this should be done ; yet he waited until a 
fortnight after the conversation with his cousin 
in regard to a partnership, before again mention- 
ing the subject. 


The Price of Money, 8 1 

I suppose you have considered the proposal 
I made to you,” he then said : 

‘‘ Yes, sir,” was the laconic reply. 

And your decision is made ?” 

“ Yes, sir.” 

I hope it is a favorable one.” 

It accords with your wishes.” 

And you will appear as the purchaser of the 
store in question 

Yes, sir.” 

“ I am glad to hear that. I knew so sensible 
a man as you are. Cousin Wyatt, would see the 
folly of letting such a chance to make a fortune 
slip through your fingers. It would have been a 
great mistake.” 

“From one standpoint, it would: from 

another it would not. I am by no means certain 
that I am not making the mistake of my life in 
going into such a business.” 

“Such a business !” repeated Mr. Harvey, upon' 
whom the covert sneer contained in these last ‘ 
words had not been lost. “ I hope you’ll not 
condemn yourself by condemning a legal traffic.” 

“ I shall say nothing about it ; but I may as 


82 


All for Money. 


well tell you the truth now, so that there may be 
a fair understanding between us,” was responded, 
a little sharply. “I think of the liquor traffic 
just as I have always thought. I have not 
changed my opinion of it. The laws of the 
country recognize it as a branch of industry, but 
that has nothing to do with it as a moral act. I 
am going to accept your offer simply because I 
don’t know what else to do, and I believe I can 
make money by it.” 

“I am very sorry to hear you talk like this, 
Cousin Wyatt. A man is not apt to succeed in 
an undertaking unless he goes into it with a good 
will.” 

“ I shall succeed in making money. There’s 
nothing a man will pay so much for as for 
gratifying his appetite. But for all that, selling 
liquor is poor business.” 

“ If I thought as you do, I would never put 
money into the trade. I consider it as honora- 
ble as I know it is profitable.” 

Hermon Wyatt did not dispute this assertion. 
Yet he was as certain that the love of money 
ruled in his cousin’s heart as in his own. He 


The Price of Money, 


S3 

despised himself, as the terms of partnership were 
arranged, but one consideration held him to his 
purpose. 

He had no reason to complain of these terms. 
They were even more generous than he had 
anticipated. 

It was past midnight when the two men sepa- 
rated, and the next morning, after mutual greet- 
ings, Mr. Harvey remarked : “ Cousin Wyatt 
thinks he must leave us to-morrow. I told him 
that we should miss him very much.” 

Indeed we shall miss him,” rejoined his 
hostess ; and turning to the gentleman, she said, 
in her blandest tone : “ You seem like an old 
friend rather than a new-found cousin. Milly and 
I shall be lonely without you.” 

Milly looked up, smiled, blushed, and to her 
extreme vexation, found it impossible to utter a 
single word. She had known, of course, that the 
gentleman was only a visitor, yet she had quite 
ignored this fact. She was accustomed to atten- 
tion, and his presence had done much to divert 
her thoughts from the loss she as yet hardly 
realized. 


84 


All for Money. 


With an effort she recovered her self-possession, 
and said, gayly : “ Uncle Harvey, it was hardly 
fair to make such an announcement so early in 
the day. Auntie and I had our plans all made 
for the next twenty-four hours. If one gentle- 
man goes we must press another into service.” 

Service is what you ladies always expect. 
And you think it will require some pressure to 
reduce me to servitude, do you was the 
quick reply. 

He who renders service gladly is no servant.” 

“ Thank you for that, Mr. Wyatt. Now I 
know we shall miss you sadly, unless uncle can be 
made to appreciate his privileges.” 

Thus, in light badinage and raillery passed the 
breakfast hour. Many a true word was spoken 
jestingly, and many a smile concealed a sincere 
regret. 

Again Hermon Wyatt was standing by the 
window through which he had looked out upon 
the November storm. Now there was a cloud- 
less sky. Not a shadow dimmed the brightness. 
Far as the eye could see was one vast expanse of 
blue. 


The Price of Money, 


85 


It seemed to him who gazed upon this light 
and glory that his very soul was stripped of all 
disguises before the Almighty Father. He had 
fancied that when once the pledge was given 
which bound him to his cousin he would have no 
more misgivings. Now, alone, apart from the 
influences which had constrained him, save his 
own cravings for wealth, he realized how low he 
had fallen. 





CHAPTER V. 

THE CORNER STORE 


HY was Lcand^r Harvey unwilling that 
his name should appear as the pi^r- 
chaser of a first-class liquor store ? 
Why did he insist upon such an arrangement as 
would screen him from all public complicity in 
the business ? Why also, if he really wished to 
benefit his cousin, did he not advance money to 
reinstate the young man in some familiar depart- 
ment of trade ? 

All these and many kindred questions sug- 
gested themselves to Hermon W3^att as he 
neared the city of his destination, and answers 
followed fast upon them. 

After all the boasted legalit}^ of the traffic, 
and the pretense of its necessity, both as a source 
of revenue to the government and a response to 



The Corner Store: 


87 

the demands of community, there were obvious 
reasons why the gentleman chose that another 
than himself should take the advanced post. 
^ There was a sentiment abroad adverse to his 
expressed opinions ; and it might be that this 
sentiment would finally prevail. In one direction 
he must receive full credit. He had never pro- 
fessed to be actuated by disinterested motives. 
While • regarding only his own advantage, he 
had decided that his cousin was the very person 
to assist him, and he had made no effort to con- 
ceal his real motive. Everything had been done 
fairly and openly. He was ready to fulfil his part 
of the contract, so that his partner would have no 
cause for complaint. 

“ Ahj Wyatt, so you are not quite annihilated,” 
said a middle-aged man who entered the cars, 
and looking around, recognized him as an 
acquaintance. 

“Not quite,” was the reply. “I hope you 
have weathered the storm.” 

“I have so far, and I hope the worst is over. 
Going to start again .?” 

“ That is my intention.” 


S8 


All for Moftey, 


Better not hurry about it. Things will 
straighten themselves out by spring, so a man 
can tell where he is. Going into your old busi- 
ness, I suppose T* 

“ No, sir. I should be glad to, but there’s no 
opening for me in that. I’m going to try some- 
thing new.” 

“Any objection to telling what V 

“ I don’t know why I should have. I’m* on my 
way to buy Landers’ block for a man who wishes^ 
to invest money there.” 

“ Landers, the wine merchant .?” 

“Yes, I suppose so. I never heard of him till 
within three weeks. In these days a man can’t 
always choose his occupation. I found I couldn’t.” 

“So you’re going into the store yourself.?” 

“ That is the understanding.” 

“ Well, you’ll make a good thing of it if you 
share in the profits. Landers begun on a small 
scale and worked his way up. Had a good trade, 
and the old customers will keep right along if 
they’re well treated. Landers liked his own 
liquors a little too well the last of his life, but he 
was an honorable man to do business with. I 


The Corner Store. 8g 

shouldn’t thought of your stepping into his shoes 
though.” 

r. I shouldn’t have thought of it for myself. It’s 
entirely out of my line. But it came to me, and 
I took the chance.” 

^‘Well, I’ve no doubt you’ll do well. Only 
take care that you don’t fall into Landers’ 
mistake. Here we are. Good morning.” 

Was the speaker’s manner less cordial, or was 
the seeming coldness only seeming ? 

By appointment, Hermon Wyatt was to meet 
Mr. Harvey’s friend, the dealer in liquors, to 
whom reference has been already made. No 
sooner had he glanced at the stranger, than he 
felt a keen disappointment. This man might be 
munificent in his gifts, but never benevolent. He 
might be respectable, but never truly honorable. 
He might wield a powerful influence by his 
wealth, but never by his personal presence. 

He was happy to make the acquaintance of one 
who had been so highly recommended to him, 
and proceeded at once to speak of the business 
which had brought them together. He had been 
consulted weeks before by his old friend, and had 




All for Money, 


made a careful examination of the entire property 
now offered for sale ; building, stock, and fix- 
tures. He named a sum which he considered a 
fair price, yet thought that it could be purchased 
for considerably less. 

The bulk of Landers’ Estate is to be held in 
trust for the benefit of his sons, and the trustees 
are anxious to dispose of this part of it. It’s a 
great pity, but the sons are dissipated, and their 
father took this way to provide against their com- 
ing to want. It’s a hard time to raise money, but 
that will be for the advantage of the purchaser. 
I told Harvey he would never have a better 
chance to invest some of his loose capital. I’ve 
had an eye to it ever since it’s been in the 
market, and shall be glad to give you any advice 
or assistance in my power.” 

“Thank you. Mr. Harvey told me that he 
should rely upon your judgment. I know nothing 
of the value of the movable property and shall 
be guided entirely by you.” 

“ I consider myself a good judge, and will give 
you the benefit of my knowledge. If you man- 
age right you can be a rich man in ten years,” 


The Corner Store, 


91 


I hope so. Nothing but the expectation of 
that v/ould induce me to touch the business.” 

“ My friend told me you had some scruples in 
regard to it. I understand all that sort of thing.i 
I have sifted scruples until you couldn’t see them. 

I believe in temperance, and trust that my cus- 
tomers believe in it too. We have the law on 
our side, and as long as we can look to that for 
support, fanatics can’t make much headway 
against us. I take out a license, pay my fee, and 
then go on as I think best. You are no judge of 
wines 

“ Never tasted a drop of wine in my life, and 
never wanted to.” 

“ Well, I must confess, you are a strange 
fellow to take up the trade. But you will learn 
all that, and till then, I can furnish you a man 
who knows how to manage. He can tell to a 
drop when a liquor is all right. He used to be 
with me till he got so I couldn’t trust him. He 
wouldn’t keep sober long enough to do his regu- 
lar work. He’s so poor now, he’ll do better for a 
while, and be thankful enough for a job. I advise 
you, though, to keep an eye on him. . He has 


All for Money, 


92 

gone down terribly. He was a fine young man 
when he first came to me. Now he is no better 
than a sot, and far gone in health for that. You 
can’t expect to get along now without tasting of 
wine.” 

“ I intend to. I don’t propose to make a sot 
of myself.” 

“ Of course not. But there’s a vast difference 
between tasting of liquor and pouring it down by 
the quantity, as some men do. Liquor isn’t 
always just what you want it to be, and it pays a 
merchant to look after his own'doctoring. Then, 
sometimes we find it profitable to do a little 
manufacturing from the raw material.” 

“ I don’t understand. You import your liquors, 
don’t you, except what is distilled in this coun- 
try 

“ Bless you man, yes, but there’s not a quarter 
part enough wine shipped to this country to sup- 
ply the trade. It must be had some way, and 
we may as well make the profits as anybody. 
The man I’ll send you is posted in such 
business.” 

“ But Mr. Harvey said he was sure of getting 


The Corner Store, 


93 

the genuine article when he ordered his wine 
from you,” said Hermon Wyatt. 

“ I never sell poor liquor,” was the prompt re- 
ply. “ I deal honorably with all my customers. 
Mr. Harvey told me he was to have nothing to 
do with the management of the business. He 
leaves that entirely with you.” 

“ That is the understanding.” 

“ Then there is no need of initiating him into 
the mysteries of the trade. He is a shrewd 
financier and keeps an eye out to see where 
money can be made. If he gets his share of the 
profits, he’ll not be likely to ask many questions. 
Now that we’ve disposed of that, we may as well 
come to some conclusion about the bargain to 
be made. You are the man to attend to that, 
and you are prepared to make an offer. Don’t 
give a dollar more than you are obliged to, but 
don’t lose your chance, even if you have to pay a 
fair value. Every man must look out for his own 
interests, and leave others to take care of them- ^ 
selves. That’s the correct way, isn’t it, Mr. 
Wyatt 

“ That’s the usual way,” responded the younger 


All for Money, 

man, who felt himself positively repelled by his 
companion. 

“The proper way too. If you make an offer 
for a piece of property, and your offer is accepted, 
you are under no obligation to inquire the rea- 
son why it was accepted. So if you have any 
kind of goods to sell, and people choose to buy 
them, it’s not your duty to undervalue them. 
We offer our liquors and somebody buys them. 
The baker heaps loaves of bread upon his counter 
and somebody buys the bread. They are both 
fair transactions in the way of trade. I wish you 
success in your new enterprise, and if I can ever 
be of any assistance to you I shall be at your 
service.” 

How Hermon Wyatt chafed at the patronizing 
manner of his adviser. But for the memory of 
Milly Legrewand her luxurious tastes he would 
even now have receded from his engagement. 
Again the battle was fought, and again wrong 
was triumphant. 

Two days were spent in negotiations. Landers’ 
block exchanged owners, and a teetotaler be- 
came the purchaser of a large stock of liquors, 


The Corner Store, 


95 


all of which were offered to the public as pure 
and unadulterated. Mr. Reeves sent the assist- 
ant who had been promised, and the man 
presented himself to his new employer, sober 
and well dressed. 

‘‘What have you for me to do, sir.^” he 
asked. 

“ I don’t know,” was the reply. “ I don’t 
know what needs to be done ; and if I did I don’t 
know how to do it. Mr. Reeves said I could 
depend upon you.” 

“Yes, sir, I know the dodges as v/ell as any- 
body. The only trouble with me is that I’ve 
got an appetite for the cursed stuff and I can’t 
always govern it. But I can get along for a 
while, so you wont have any reason to complain 
of me. I’m hard up, and I want to earn some- 
thing for my wife and little girl. I can’t do 
without my priming, but I’ll do my best to stick 
' to that. Shall I go below and see what’s wanted V 
Old Landers’ best man died near the time he did, 
and both died pretty much the same way, though 
one was rich and the other poor. Hellish busi- 
ness, the best you can make of it. But there’s 


All for Money. 


96 

money in it. Excuse me, sir, I’m a little shaky, 
or I shouldn’t talk so much.” 

How pitiful was all this ! The confession of 
weakness ; the denunciation of the drink his 
appetite craved, and for which he was bartering 
soul and body. Abject wretch, and yet strug- 
gling to retain the semblance of decency. 

Hellish business,” indeed ! Who dares to call 
it otherwise gives his testimony to a lie. 

But there is money in it. Money to be made 
by dealing out death and destruction to the 
dwellers on this fair earth ! Money to be made 
by degrading the intellects and hardening the 
hearts of such as God has made in his own 
image \ Money to be made by quenching the 
light of love in happy homes, beggaring innocent 
children, and dooming to slow, lingering torture 
wives who should be tenderly cherished ! 
Money to be made by maddening the brain and 
nerving the arm of the assassin ! Money to be 
made by fostering crime and enormity of every 
kind the mind of man can conceive or the de- 
pravity of a demon execute ! 

Hermon Wyatt was alone in his counting-room 


The Corner Store, 


97 


with the door fast closed. He was alone, lean- 
ing his head upon his hand, the veriest coward 
that ever turned his back upon duty and honest 
labor. But the die was cast. With a resolute 
will worthy of a better cause, he decided to put 
aside all scruples and give his entire energies to 
the work before him. 

I need not write of his continued struggles 
with conscience and his loathing of the influences 
which surrounded him. He was not likely . to 
yield to the temptations he prepared for others. 
Come what might to him, he would never taste 
intoxicating liquor. He raised his head and 
brought his hand down heavily upon the desk as 
he mentally registered this vow. 

With the exception of Dummer, the forlorn 
creature just introduced to my riders, every 
man m the establishment had been employed by 
the late proprietor and understood what was ex- 
pected of him. Chief among these was the con- 
fidential clerk, who knew the whole routine of 
the business and was competent to give all de- 
sired information. 

Mr. Landers had trusted him, as also had the 




All for Money. 


customers. Now, gentlemen coming to make 
their purchases were introduced to the new pro- 
prietor, who met them cordially and then referred 
them to Mr. Crown as authority in matters of 
trade. 

A variety of customers visited this store, which 
was likely to lose none of its former prestige. 
Here came men with clear cut intellectual faces, 
broad, high foreheads, and finely strung nerves, to 
whom stimulants are a threefold curse. There 
were young men with vigorous minds and fine 
physiques, paying a price for what would rob them 
of both strength and grace. Old men, too, there 
were, stamped with the seal of their habits, and 
ordering large supplies of liquors as freely as they 
would have ordered necessary food for their 
families. Not drunkards and vagabonds ; but 
men whose names represented millions of prop- 
erty, and whose homes were decorated with the 
most elaborate appointments of wealth. 

Aside from all these was a coarser grade of 
customers ; business men in middle life, who 
complained of hard times ; having nothing to 
bestow upon their poorer neighbors, and yet 


T liQ Corner Store, 


99 


squandering for intoxicating drinks what would 
suffice for the support of many a suffering fam- 
ily. 

“ There’s no falling off in our trade,” remarked 
Mr. Crown, a few weeks after the establishment 
had changed owners. “ Every other trade suffers, 
but good liquor is always good property. Men 
will have that, any way. We’ve lost a few cus- 
tomers that have failed. They’ve gone to cheap- 
er places for their drinks, but that’s more than 
made up by the retailers. They buy more than 
usual.” 

How do you account for that .?” 

“ Well, there are a good many men idle. 
They can’t get work to do at much of any 
price, and they must do something. They’ll get 
together somewhere ; so' they go to the saloons 
where they’re sure tp find good company and 
cheerful rooms. Of course, when they get there 
they want something to drink. One treats, and 
then another, till there’s a good deal of liquor dis- 
posed of” 

Such men had better spend their money for 
something else.” 


100 


All for Money, 


I know that as well as you do, but a man 
that’s used to liquor don’t give it up so easily.” 

“I’ve heard of men reforming.” 

“Yes, but fortunately for your business there 
are not many such. There’s Dummer now, the 
best man for his place I ever saw. He’s making 
money for you faster than Sharp ever made it for 
Landers ; turning out better liquors at a cheaper 
rate. Killing himself, too, while he does it, if I 
can judge from appearances. It’s a shame for a 
man to drink so that has such a daughter as he 
has. She’s a beauty. Comes with him every 
morning, and then comes after him every night. 
I’ve only seen her once, but the men say she 
comes every day.” 

“ How old is she 

“ I should think she might be fourteen or 
fifteen.” 

“ I didn’t know he had a family,” said Mr. 
Wyatt. 

“ It’s a pity he has. I don’t call myself weak- 
headed, but I can’t get over thinking about that 
girl. I was near enough to hear what she said 
to him when she left him.” 


The Cor7ter Store, 


lOI 


What was it ?” 

“ ‘ Do be careful, father. We shall love you 
all day.’” 

“ They are poor, aren’t they V 
Men always are when they get where 
Dummer is. I should know it, too, by the way 
the girl was dressed.” 

“ Where do they live V' 

“ I don’t know, but I can find out.” 

“ Don’t take the trouble. I will ask him my- 
self. I don’t want to feel that any man who 
works for me has a suffering family. Perhaps I 
ought to pay him higher wages.” 

“ He is glad enough to get what he does. 
You said Reeves turned him off, and you are 
running a risk to employ him.” 

“ But you say he is doing well.” 

“ So he is. I don’t know of anybody who 
could fill his place.” 

Later in the day Dummer looked up from 
his work to meet the eye of his employer. 
He was “primed,” and therefore sure of him- 
self. 


“Any orders V' he asked. 


102 All for Money, 

None from me. You fill orders before they 
are made.” 

“Yes, sir. I know what to expect.” 

“ Are you satisfied with your place .?” 

“ It’s all I’m fit for, and I must do some- 
thing.” 

“You have a family.” 

A look of defiance passed over the man’s face, 
but after a moment’s hesitation, he replied : 

“I have a wife and daughter good enough for 
the best man in the country.” 

“ Excuse me, Dummer, but where do you 

live r 

There was a still longer delay before an an- 
swer was given, but at length he named the 
street and number where his family could be 
found. 

A poor tenement it was. Only three rooms, 
scantily furnished, and attractive for no other 
reason than its cleanliness. 

Hermon Wyatt was not accustomed to visit 
such localities ; yet in this instance he departed 
from his usual custom. He, too, had seen the 
young girl who waited for her father ; seen her 


The Corner Store, 


^03 

spring to his side and cling to him as though she 
would save him from himself. 

The next day, when he went to look for her 
home, he saw her entering a door over which 
was a modest sign, informing the passers by that 
milk, yeast, eggs and groceries coul.d be found 
within. Some fine apples displayed in the win- 
dow gave him a pretext for following the young 
girl and learning her, errand. 

Well, dear, what can I do for you to-day ?’* 
a motherly-looking English woman was saying. 
“ I’ve got grand things for little money. Coffee 
that’s worth ‘more than it’ll bring me, and sugar 
cheaper than ever.” 

Before answer could be made she turned to 
the gentleman ; when he remarked : “ I’m in no 
hurry. I came in for some apples, but I’m wait- 
ing about for a short time, and sh'all be oblig^ed if 
you will allow me to stop here.” 

“ Sure, sir, you’re welcome. I’d offer you a 
chair, but the room is that narrow, sir.” 

“I prefer standing;” and directly he seemed 
engrossed by what he saw through the glass 
door, while in reality he was listening to the 


104 


All for Money, 


half-whispered conversation of the shopkeeper 
and her customer. 

He knew that both were calculating carefully 
how the contents of an old pocket-book could 
be expended to the best advantage. Coffee, 
sugar, milk, and a half dozen of eggs were 
bought. Then, last, a tumbler of jelly, which 
extravagance was finally ordered only after long 
deliberation. 

“ It will be so nice for father with his toast, 
and I earned almost the price of it yesterday,” 
said the daughter, by way of apology. “ Poor 
father !” 

“Yes, dear, but he’s rich in having you. I 
hope your mother’s comfortable.” 

“ She’s anxious. If it wasn’t for that she’d be 
comfortable. We’ve enough of everything.” 

“ Then be thankful for that, dear. There’s 
always a worry for them that’s not alone, and 
the lone ones pine for somebody. I mind me 
many such both ways, and there’ll always be the 
same. If you need a friend I’ll do you a turn as 
far as I’m able.” 

The young girl passed out hastily, brushing a 


The Corner Store. 


105 


tear from her eye, and another entered. Mrs. 
Ilsley glanced at the gentleman ; but as he had 
resumed his former position she did not speak to 
him. 

This customer was quickly served, and as the 
door closed behind her, Mr. Wyatt said : “ I will 
pay you for a dozen apples.” She named the 
price, which he placed in her hand, adding: “I 
don’t wish to take them. Please give them to 
the young lady who came in just before me.” 

“ Lizzie Dummer, sir 

“ I think that is her name. Can you tell me 
anything of her family V' 

Mrs. Ilsley looked sharply at the man, and 
then, as if satisfied with her scrutiny, answered : 

Well, sir. I’m thinking I can, as much as any- 
body about here. They’re not Tong in the city, 
and they keep close. But you see they must buy 
somewhere ; and I keep a decent place. I only 
charges fair profits, and the neighbors mostly 
come to me. Lizzie comes every day, poor thing, 
but it’s not often she buys much.” 

“ She has a father 

“Yes, sir. But. I’m thinking she’ll not have 


io6 All for Money, 

him long. He’s nigh dead with, drink, and just 
giving his last bit of strength to earn for his 
family. I’m thinking there’s somebody got to 
answer for what I wouldn’t in the great day. 
Lizzie wouldn’t say a word against her father, 
but he’s working in the big liquor store that used 
to be Landers’. I’m not given to cursing, sir, but 
if I was I’d curse the man that sells liquor.” 

The speaker was too much absorbed in what 
she was saying to observe her companion closely, 
and his next question turned her thoughts in a 
new channel. 

I ‘‘ Is Mr. Dummer very poor 

It must be he is, sir. Sure, sir, might I be so 
bold as to ask if you know him 

“ I have seen him, and I wish to help his family 
without having them know who does it. Can 
you tell me how this can be done 

“ Well, sir, I don’t know. They’re that inde- 
pendent ; and his wife, dear woman, is saving his 
earnings against the time he can’t work. If 
you’ve a mind to help them I’ll do my best for 
anything you’ll leave with me. You can ask the 
neighbors if I’m an honest woman.” 


The Corner Store, 


loy 


“ I’m willing to trust you without asking 
questions ; ” and he laid five dollars on the 
counter ; the largest sum he had ever bestov/ed 
in charity of his own free accord. 

Was this an actual gift, or was it but a small 
instalment of his indebtedness to one who was 
coining his fortune by imperilling the lives of 
others ? 




CHAPTER VI. 

THE FAIRY PRINCE. 

ILLY LEGREW had been at her uncle’s 
three months, when the gentleman gave 
her a letter, remarking : “ Your mother 
has written at last.” 

“Oh! I’m so glad,” she exclaimed. “It has 
been so long- to wait, and I really love my 
mother.” 

“ Mother has lost a great deal of money,” she 
said, soon after, coming back to the room from 
which she had carried her preciou^letter that she 
might read it alone. “ She seems almost dis- 
tracted, and don’t know what to do.” 

“ She has something left, Milly. It can’t be 
that she has lost everything. She has her house, 
at least.” 

“ I don’t know. She don’t say anything about 



The Fairy Prince, log 

that. Dear me ! What will she do } Now she 
will blame me more than ever. She wants you 
to go and see her, Uncle Harvey. Cousin Na- 
omi has added a half sheet to mother’s letter.” 

“ What does she say V' 

She is entirely out of patience with every- 
body and wants me to go home the next train. 
She says old Moneybags is at the bottom of this. 
He managed to get a run on the bank where 
mother’s money was invested, and it failed. 
That’s Cousin Naomi’s version of the affair. She 
hates Mr. Esterbrook.” 

“As every good woman has reason to do. 
You and I had better go down. We shall be just 
in season to hear of the wedding festivities. You 
are quite sure- you’ll not envy the bride V* 

“ Envy her ! I’d live in a garret with my 
mother sooner than be in her place, and such liv- 
ing would be dreadful. This decides me about 
giving music lessons. I must do something. 
Cousin Naomi thinks I may come out a tolerably 
sensible woman, and I ought not to disappoint 
her.” 

“Cousin Naomi is a sensible woman herself. 


110 


•All for .Money. 


We can depend upon her. I hope she will save 
what property she has.” 

“I hope so. She has always doubted city se- 
curities.” 

I have heard her say that, although she made 
an exception in favor of real estate. There is 
some likely to come into her hands not a hundred 
miles from here. It would long ago if she hadn’t 
such a soft heart where others are concerned.” 

“I know she has. She is something like a 
shag-bark walnut. That is hard-shelled, but 
when you get at the meat it is delicious. I have 
a weakness for walnuts. Dear, good soul ! I 
should be very glad to see Cousin Naomi. But 
after all, uncle, it will be hard to go home and 
have people cut me because I am poor. Not 
many knew about my loss when I came away, 
and then mother let our set believe that I was 
engaged to Mr. Esterbrook. Of course I 
shouldn’t be slighted. Oh, dear ! It don’t seem 
as though it could be so. It’s such a little while 
since we were living along from one day to an- 
other, doing nothing more than calling, shopping, 
receiving calls and attending parlies. I’m begin- 


The Fairy Prince, 


III 


ning to feel that it’s a dreadful thing to be poor 
and she burst into tears, sobbing bitterly. “ I 
. don’t think I realized what it is till now,” she 
added, before her uncle had decided what to 
reply. 

Then he hastened to comfort her ; telling her 
that matters might not be so bad as had been 
represented, and even if they were there would 
be some way out of the difficulty. “ We can 
trust Cousin Naomi’s judgment, and she thinks 
you should go home directly,” he said. 

“ But I presume mamma won’t care to see me, 
and I don’t feel as though I could bear being 
scolded. I know how she feels towards me. She 
will blame me for all- the trouble. I wish people 
could live without money. Just think, uncle, I 
havil’t had anything new since I came here. To 
be sure, I don’t know as I’ve needed anything, 
but then I might. I havn’t even had a pair of 
new gloves.” 

“ You shall have dozens if you want them ; so 
don’t worry about that,” responded the gentle- 
man smiling. “ So dry your eyes and look on 
the bright side.” ' 


JI2 


All for Money, 


“ Oh, I’m not crying for gloves. I bought a 
dozen pair of the best the week before I came 
here. But it all seems so dreadful, and mother 
cares a great deal more for money than I do.” 

Affairs were looking serious. Mr. Harvey ac- 
knowledged this to his wife while making hurried 
preparations for visiting his sister-in-law. Milly 
added much to the attraction of their home ; but 
Milly’s mother was far too capricious and exacting 
to make her long a welcome guest. 

No miser craved money more than did she. 
Not that she might hoard it in glittering coins, 
but that she might surround herself with luxury 
and challenge the admiration of those with whom 
she associated. She had drawn more heavily 
upon her personal property than her daughter 
supposed, so that the loss she now suffered was 
in reality greater than it seemed. Shutting 
herself into her room, she refused to be seen by 
any one except Cousin Naomi, who was too much 
accu.stomed to her demonstrations to treat them 
with much respect. 

It ain’t the worst thing that could happen,” 
remarked this comforter, after an outburst of 


The Fairy Prince. iij 

grief, in which the unhappy woman bewailed her 
misfortune. “You might lose your daughter, as 
Stella Bond’s mother has lost her.” 

“ Naorni Dodge, don’t speak to me of that 
again. Mrs. Esterbrook’s mother has reason to 
congratulate herself.” 

“ Millicent Legrew, stop and thank the Lord 
that your plans were upset. Have you forgotten 
what Leander Harvey wrote to you 1 The mon- 
ey he would condemn as ill-gotten must bring a 
curse with it. You may be sure of that. Old 
Moneybags owns some of the worst houses in the 
city. There arc more than forty liquor saloons 
paying rent to him ; low, miserable groggeries, 
some of them.” 

“ What difference does that make to him } He 
gets good rents for them.” 

“ Yes, better than if they were used for respec- 
table purposes, and if he only gets the money, 
that is all he cares.” 

“ Well, money is everything. It will buy 
everything and pay for everything that is worth 
liaving.” 

“ Will it Will it buy health > Will it buy 


All for Money. 


114 

happiness ?” asked Naomi Dodge sharply. “ No 
use talking to that woman,” she soliloquized as 
she crossed the hall. 

It was a wonder to all her friends that this 
cousin should remain with Mrs. Legrew. The 
two had few sympathies or interests in common. 
Cousin Naomi was not obliged to accept her po- 
sition as a means of support, although she was 
paid a stipulated sum quarterly, and would by 
no means have waived her claim to this. Her 
home had been here for twenty years, and during 
that time she had made herself indispensable to 
the family. Now she v/as the only one who 
could think calmly. 

Mr. Harvey and Milly arrived, as was ex- 
pected ; the latter going directly to her mother 
and offering such comfort as she could. All her 
efforts, however, availed nothing. Mrs. Legrew 
protested again and again that she would rather 
die than change her style of living and be 
slighted by people who had been proud of her 
notice. 

Her daughter listened in silence while she 
portrayed the disgrace and humiliation which 


The Fairy Prince, 775 

awaited them, unless some relief could be 
found. 

“ I cannot survive it !” she exclaimed ; and 
then followed reproaches, such as no true- 
hearted woman would ever utter. 

“ But mamma, auntie says you didn’t have very 
much money at home,” said the young girl, at 
last, when she felt constrained to speak in self- 
justification. 

“ We didn’t, and that is why I know so well 
the misery of trying to live without it. I 
shouldn’t have married your father if any richer 
man had offered himself to me. When I was of 
your age. I had too much sense to refuse Mr. 
Esterbrook. I suppose you think it is dreadful 
for me to say that about your father, but when 
you have learned by experience what it is to be 
poor, you will talk very differently from what 
you do now. Mrs. Esterbrook can dress like a 
princess ; and a woman who has money enough 
at her command can be happy under almost any 
circumstances.” 

Milly knew this was not true ; but it would be 
strange if she had not gone out from that inter- 


ii6 


All for Money. 


view with an intense longing for what seemed to 
her mother the dearest boon of earth. Well for 
her that at that moment she met no temptation 
to sacrifice herself upon the altar of mammon. 

Well,” said her uncle, when she returned 
to him. 

“ It is anything but well,” she replied. “ Mother 
is in despair.” 

“Not so bad as that, I hope.” 

“ Yes, just as bad. And why shouldn’t she be 
in despair } How would ^^72^ feel if you had lost 
nearly all your property and could never accu- 
mulate any more ? Don’t you consider money 
the one thing needful in this world.? Isn’t it 
what men work for, and what they sell their 
souls for sometimes .?” 

“ Why, Milly, child, you are really getting 
logical. Don’t trouble your head about such 
things. Let men work, if they will. They were 
made to work.” 

“ But they don’t work any more than a great 
many women. I’ve seen women looking so poor 
and wretched. O dear ! How could I live as 
they do .?” 


The Fairy Prince, 


117 

“You couldn’t, child. There’ll never beany- 
occasion for your living wretchedly. You will 
live happily. If you can’t wear diamonds like 
Dan Esterbrook’s wife, you can wear silks and 
satins. Come, Milly, I can’t have you spoil your 
eyes. Trust me to take care of you until some 
one has made a fortune for you.” 

Naomi Dodge, who had been out to attend to 
some business, now came in with characteristic 
greetings for the man of the world, and the girl 
to whom, as yet, the real world was all unknown. 

“ You’ve come none too soon,” she said to Mr. 
Harvey, Avhen they were alone. 

“ What can I do, now I am here ?” was*his 
response. 

“ I don’t know ; but something must be done 
by somebody. If I hadn’t promised Robert 
Legrewl’d stay with his wife and child as long as 
they needed me, you wouldn’t find me here. But 
I promised, and I’m not in the habit of breaking 
my promises. Milly might be a sensible woman 
if she could be taken away from her mother. 
There’s a good deal about her like her father, 
and he knew there was something worth living 


ii8 


All for Money. 


for besides making' money ; though Millicent 
tried her best to make him think as she did 
about it. Things ain't so bad here as she pre- 
tends. She’s got enough to live on comfortably, 
if she only thought so. You aren’t the right one 
to say much to her about that, ‘ Leander Har- 
vey. You are all bound up in getting rich, but 
you have some common sense.” 

Thank you for saying that. Cousin Naomi.” 

“ You needn’t thank me. I’m not used to pay- 
ing compliments, but I hope I’m willing to give 
everybody their due. I know you do things for 
money that no true Christian would do. I don’t 
mean anything in particular. Cousin Harvey. 
I’ve never heard of your taking a widow’s last 
cent, or turning a poor girl into the street be- 
cause she couldn’t pay her rent ; but there are 
other things the Lord looks upon with displeas- 
ure. It’s as true now as when it was written, 
that ‘ The love of money is the root of all 
evil.’ ” 

“Then you don’t believe in money, do you. 
Cousin Naomi .?” 

“ I believe in it if it comes honestly. I always 


The Fairy Prince, iig 

did, but I can get along with a little and not 
fret myself to death either.” 

‘‘ That is more than most women can do.” 

You’re mistaken in that. Most women aren’t 
brought up as your wife and Millicent were. 
They were poor enough at home, just because 
they tried to make more show than they could 
without pinching themselves out of some com- 
fort. That was the trouble. I know all about 
it. I know, too, that a good many girls are 
brought up to think any man will do for a hus- 
band if he only has money enough ; and that’s 
what makes some men determined to have money 
at any cost. The fault isn’t all with the women, 
though. You and I know better than that. 
Rich men want rich sons-in-law. Old Moneybags 
made a mistake once in’ calculating on a girl’s 
heart, but Mr. Baldwin thought his step-daugh- 
ter very fortunate,” 

“ Money gives a person power. Neither you 
nor I can deny that. But as far as Dan Ester- 
brook is concerned, I think worse of him than 
you can.. That is done with now.” 

He is never done with a person who deceives 


120 


All for Money, 


or opposes him. If he isn’t at the bottom of 
Millicent’s loss, I’m mistaken.” 

“ Tell me about it.” 

All was told which the woman could substan- 
tiate as facts, while Leander Harvey knit his 
brows as he listened. 

“ I wouldn’t advise you to say much about this,” 
added his companion. This is a bad time to 
make an enemy of such a man.” 

“ I have no fears of him,” was the quick reply. 
“ I know how to bring him to terms. I know 
more of Dan Esterbrook’s past life than he will 
be willing to have told, and he knows that I 
know it. I shall see him, and perhaps it will be 
better for me to call on him before I see Millicent. 
I shall have time for that before dinner.” ' • 

‘‘Yes, plenty of time. But you must have 
luncheon first. You know your own business, 
but you must allow me to caution you against 
making an enemy of such a man. There is no 
use in running risks when nothing is to be 
gained.” 

“ That is true. I allow you to say what you 
please to me, Cousin Naomi. I shall consult one 


The Fairy Prince, 


I2I 


or two parties, and then run no risk at all. Do 
comfort Milly, if you can. She has great confi- 
dence in you.” 

“ ni look after her. She needs a friend, if any- 
body does, and it’s sorry comfort she’ll get from 
. her mother.” 

An active business man, an acquaintance of 
Mr. Harvey, who observed closely the progress 
of events, corroborated all which had been al- 
ready told him in regard to the bank in which 
Mrs. Legrew’s funds were invested. Considering 
this the most secure of her investments, she had 
allowed it to remain, without withdrawing any 
part of the original amount, so that she was 
wholly unprepared for its loss. . 

‘‘ Between you and me, Esterbrook is capable 
of any meanness, and I have heard that he had 
a purpose to serve in what he has done,” said the 
acquaintance. “ Any way, it is better to lose 
money than happiness. If Stella Bond was my 
daughter, I should rather see her in her coffin 
than in her husband’s home. There is no account- 
ing for tastes, however, and she may be satisfied 
with her life. She has the most magnificent 


122 


2^11 for Money. 


diamonds. Her chains are of solid gold, and 
crusted with pearls ; but they are chains, for all 
that. I know she must hate her old ogre of a 
husband, and woe be to her when she betrays 
her hatred.” 

Mr. Harvey did not trust himself to reply, lest ^ 
he might say more than seemed to him wise ; 
but went at once to call upon the man whom so 
many feared, and so few trusted. Despite the 
servant’s assurance that his master saw no one 
without first signifying his willingness to do so, 
this visitor waited for permission to enter from 
neither master nor servant. Bidding the former 
lead the way, he confronted Daniel Esterbrook 
in a magnificently furnished room. 

“ It may be that you have forgotten me,” he 
said coldly. 

A supercilious smile rendered the wizened face 
still more repulsive, as with a trembling hand he 
adjusted his glasses, and surveyed the intruder. 

“ You are a stranger to me,” was his response. 

You are mistaken in that. It is more than 
twenty years since I have spoken to you, but I 
think you remember the night the old warehouse 


The Fairy Prince. 12 j 

was burned. A frightful accident occurred there, 
and I am certain you have not forgotten that.” 

“ Leander Harvey !” 

“ The very same. Perhaps you remember me 
now.” 

Yes, yes, I do. Be seated, and tell me how 
I can serve you. * Is — is — is your friend living V' 

“Jack Hanson is living. You gave him an 
ugly blow and it crippled him for life, but his 
wife and children make up for all he lacks.” 

“ I — I hope he don’t bear me any malice.” 

“ I can’t answer for that, only a man wouldn’t 
be likely to love another who attempted to kill 
him. Murder has a bad sound. But Jack agreed 
to your terms, and he’s not one to go back on a 
bargain of any kind. You got a heavy insurance 
on that warehouse. No more than it was worth, 
though, if all it contained was valued. You made 
a pile of money, then, Dan Esterbrook, and rid 
yourself of a woman who was getting trouble- 
some. It was done in a quiet way, too, and with no 
proof that would be allowed in a court of justice. 
How about your last operation, having regard to 
Mrs. Legrew 1 She is my sister-in-law, and her 


124 Money. 

daughter is my niece. Perhaps you didn’t know 
that.” 

^ The miserable man looked at his accuser as if 
deprecating further reminder of his guilt ; making 
an effort to say something in self-defence, yet 
able only to articulate a single letter : I — I — . 
The small, pinched features expressed such agony 
as was pitiful to see. At length Mr. Esterbrook 
stammered out : ‘‘ I’ve no wish to injure Mrs. 
Legrewor her daughter.” 

“ Then why did you It was poor revenge 
because a young girl refused to give herself to 
such an old debauchee as you are. I would have 
prevented the match if I had snatched her from 
you at the altar. It is enough for men to sell 
themselves for money. You have sold yourself 
— what little there was of you, for money ; and 
by this time you know whether it was a profitable 
transaction. You are a rich man, Dan Ester- 
^brook-; so rich, that you can’t help adding to 
your riches every day, but I don’t envy you. No, 
1 don’t.” 

Up to this time Mr. Harvey had been standing. 
Now he seated himself and looked around upon 


The Fairy Prince, 


^25 

the display of wealth which met his gaze. He 
had never dreamed of attaining to such magni- 
ficence ; and yet, as he said, he did not envy its 
possessor. 

“You had an object incoming here,” remarked 
his host, when somewhat recovered from the shock 
of an unexpected accusation. 

“ Certainly,” was the reply. “ I should not 
have come for the pleasure of seeing you.” 

“Tell me your object.” The speaker was 
gaining courage. 

A few words sufficed to explain what my 
readers have been told, and a demand was 
squarely made that Mrs. Legrew’s funds should 
be returned to her in such a way that the 
transaction would seem to be only a matter of 
business. 

“ It shall be done within three months, or I will 
forfeit double the amount,” said her enemy. 

“ Give me a writing to that effect,” was re- 
sponded, and this he did. “ I have no fears that 
you will play me false,” then added the visitor. 

“ If you attempt it I shall know how to meet 


you. 


126 


All for Money, 


No parting salutations were exchanged as the 
unwelcome guest passed into the hall, where a 
servant was waiting who bowed him obsequiously 
to the door. 

“Now I am sure of my man. He is a murderer 
as well as an incendiary. It will be for his inter- 
est to keep his agreement with me, and Millicent 
will be saved from what she considers poverty.” 

Thus soliloquized Leander Harvey as he walked 
rapidly through the thronged streets, while it 
never occurred to him that he was making mer- 
chandise of the lives and happiness of others. 

Murder and arson are capital crimes : recog- 
nized as such by the laws of the land. Would 
they be less criminal if they were sources of rev- 
enue to the government ? In that event would 
the gentleman have indorsed them as honorable ^ 
He had effected his purpose, and with Pharisaic 
pride he congratulated himself upon his superior- 
ity to the ciaven wretch he had just left. 

Miss Dodge met him as- he entered the house 
of his sister-in-law. 

“ You were right,” he said. “I have seen Dan 
Esterbrook.” Soon after, when opportunity 


The Fairy Prince, I2y 

offered, lie asked : “ Do you- remember Lydia 
Scott ?” 

“ Very well,” was the reply. 

What became of her P 

“ I never knew. I have wondered a great deal 
about her. She was a handsome girl and a good 
girl too. She went away from home and I heard 
that her parents lost all trace of her. I havn’t 
heard her name spoken before for more than 
twenty years.” 

“ Dan Esterbrook was acquainted with her.” 

“ Yes, he was, and I always had my suspicions 
that he knew more of her fate than any one else.” 

“I presume your suspicions are correct; but 
unless something can be gained it is of no use to 
express them.” 

“ I have no wish to do so. Money covers a 
multitude of sins, but ill-gotten gains bring a 
curse with them. We all need to remember 
that ; you and I as well as others. I wish you 
didn’t care so much for money. Cousin Harvey. 
It is a convenient thing to have, but it is not 
worth what many people pay for it.” 

Meanwhile, Milly Legrew was examining her 


128 


All for Money. 


wardrobe with reference to future needs ; smiling^ 
bitterly as she recalled the occasions when various 
articles of dress had been worn. There were 
shimmering silks and softly-flowing muslins ; 
cashmeres and cambrics ; purchased with hardly 
a thought of their price, and thrown aside with 
no concern as to the waste involved. She ques- 
tioned, even now, if the time would come when 
she must submit to petty economies and narrow 
means. 

Her mind reverted to Hermon Wyatt, who she 
knew was established in a profitable business, and 
whom she had found so delightful a companion. 
She had missed him far more than she had sup- 
posed possible, and wished — for maidens will in- 
dulge in wishes — that he might be her fairy 
prince. 




CHAPTER VII. 

PURE LIQUORS. 

OOR Dummer ! He failed to appear in 
his accustomed place, and his absence 
was reported with this comment : 
“There couldn’t be a worse time for him to stay 
away. There’s a large order to be filled, and he’s 
the man to do it. He’s kept sober longer than I 
expected, but he ought to have held out a while 
longer. He’s most used up any way.” 

“ Yes, that he is,” replied his employer. “ I am 
afraid he is sick. Let me see the order that is to 
be filled:” 

He took it, read it carefully, then turned to his 
private desk, taking from this a note-book which 
he consulted. “ I think I am equal to that,” he 
remarked. “ I may not do as well as Dummer. 
I don’t expect to. But I have watched him at 



130 


All for Money. 


his work, and with his assistants. I think I can 
turn out a respectable article.” 

“ I hope so. The house has a good reputation. 
Landers was particular. Never any poor stuff 
went out of his cellars.” 

“Do we sell ae much pure liquor as he 
did ?” 

“Yes, sir, about the same. The fact is, pure 
liquor is something you read about but don’t 
often see. It’s all of a piece ^ though not of a price, 
whether wine and brandy are made here or in 
Europe. Our merchants may as well have the 
profits as foreigners, and money is what you are 
after.” 

Nothing was said ; for although comrnitted to 
his business, Mr. Wyatt could not talk of it with 
freedom. He had been well initiated into the 
secrets of the trade, and could already count his 
gains as something real and substantial. He 
was less troubled with conscientious scruples 
than he had been when these were only antici- 
pated. He still revolted from the wholesale frauds 
carried on with his consent ; yet for this he jus- 
tified himselfby the fact that others were engaged 


Pure Liquors. 


^31 

in the same nefarious work. His liquors were as 
pure as could be bought elsewhere. 

He had taken out a license for his business, 
and was recognized as a merchant in good stand- 
ing. He gave to those who bought of him a fair 
measure of such goods as they desired. He urged 
no one to buy, and would have scorned the im- 
putation of luring men to drunkenness. He would 
have abolished the bar, so long known as an at- 
tractive feature of the establishment, had it been 
possible to do so without offending his best cus- 
tomers. 

Yet, truth to tell, he was degenerating rapidly, 
although still maintaining what he v/as pleased 
to consider a proper respect for himself. His 
place of business was closed on the Sabbath, and 
he attended church regularly. He was abste- 
mious in his personal habits ; allowing himself no 
more indulgence than had been his wont. 

Now he was troubled in regard to the father 
of the girl whose face haunted him. He wished 
this man would come, at least, to receive the 
wages due ; and despite all sophistry, he could 
not but question how far he was himself respon- 


1J2 


All for Money, 


sible. Mr. Reeves had told him that Dummer 
was a miserable sot ; half dead with disease 
induced by habits of drinking, and that the fellow 
would be thankful for any work at any price. 

Past hope.” But if left to himself, with no temp- 
tation from without, who knew that at the last 
extremity some friend might not have appeared 
to save him } 

Had Hcrnion Wyatt possessed a more sympa- 
thetic nature, or finer sensibilities, he would have 
thought of this man with a tenderness which was 
now impossible to him. 

As it was, he did not forget the humble home 
where it might be there was positive suffering. 

His time was so occupied that it was late in 
the afternoon before he found an opportunity to 
visit Mrs, Ilsley’s ; and when there, he said 
directly : “I have come to inquire for Mr. Dum- 
mer.” 

And bad enough he is,” was the reply. 

Come home last night with a pain such as he 
never had before, and his wife not knowing what 
to do. He’s easier now. The doctor’s been to 
see him and stopped to tell me on his way. He 


Pitre Liquors, 


^33 


says it’s a hard case, but he hopes he’ll get him 
through this spell. You see, sir, his blood’s all 
poisoned with the drink. If he’d only give it up.” 

“ Would there be any hope of his getting well 
again V' 

“There’s always hope, sir, when the like of him 
give up their cups. The doctor says he’s a fine 
constitution in his favor. Sure our doctor would 
fetch him through if anybody could, and without 
a drop of the stuff either. He’s troubled about 
his work ; but Lizzie says she hain’t the face to 
go there. She’s only a shadow to-day, though 
she’s handsome as handsome can be. She minded 
the shop while I went up to see her father. 
’Twant long I could stay, but they never ask 
neighboring from any other.” 

“ I am glad they have one friend.” 

“ O sir, they’ve many, only they don’t take to 
everybody. We’ve a decent neighborhood as 
any, since we’re quit of the drink shops.” 

“ Is Mr. Dummer’s family in need of food or 
fuel 

“ I’m thinking they’re not over well off for 
firing, though it’s likely they’ve got money. I’ve 


/ 


134 


All Jgj' Money. 


sold as cheap as I dared, and they not find out 
I was giving more than they paid for, but IVe 
used up the five dollars you left. I’ve kept ac- 
count, if you’re wanting to see it.” 

“ Thank you. I am willing to trust your hon- 
esty. Here is another five, and I will call round 
again in a few days. Is there anything more I 
can do for them T 

The door opened, and Lizzie Dummer sprang 
in with an exclamation upon her lips, which was 
suppressed as her eyes rested upon the stranger. 

“Please, sir, are you Mr. Wyatt she asked 
timidly. 

“ My name is Wyatt,” he replied, with a feeling 
of positive shame at the acknowkdgment. 

“Then my father has been working for you, 
sir. My father is Mr. Dummer.” 

“ Your fiither has worked for me.” 

“ Don’t tell me the gentleman is him that 
bought old Landers’ liquor store, and jpst pour- 
ing out the horrid stuff by casks and hogsheads !” 
cried Mrs. Ilsley. “It can’t be him, Lizzie. 
You’ve made a mistake, child.” 

It . was a terrible mistake, yet Hermon Wyatt 


Pure Liquors, / 

was forced to admit the charge made against 
him. 

“ Well, I wouldn’t thought it,” said the woman, 
in a tone of mingled surprise and sadness. You’re 
no more* like old Landers than — ” Here her 
comparison failed, and she stood staring blankly 
at her visitor, until she found voice to add : “ I 
never’d thought it, and you looking so clean and 
decent, so like a gentleman. It’s not m)’’ place 
to say it, sir, but you’re not fit for your business.” 

“ Why not, my good woman 

“ Because, sir, it’s a pity to spoil a fine face and 
fine figure, and you must be after drinking your 
own liquors.” 

“ I never taste of liquor. It is against my prin- 
ciples,” answered the merchant, in his confusion. 

‘‘Sure, I’m thinking that may be true, by your 
looks ; but it’s strange to be selling the stuff 
you’d not taste yourself, sir. It’s bold in me, 
but you’re in a bad business, sir. I’d rather stand 
behind my little counter and sell taffy by the 
pennyworth, than take my chance with you in 
the long.” 

O sir !” sobbed Lizzie, whose feelings had 


1^6 All for Money. 

been so overwrought that they must needs find 
vent in tears. 

Was ever man in a more awkward position } 
He wished himself anywhere else, yet Avould not 
go without accomplishing the purpose for which 
he came. 

“ I am sorry you disapprove of me, Mrs. Ilsley,” 
he said, with an effort to speak lightly. 

“ It’s not you, sir, at all. You’re a proper look- 
ing man, and well spoken. But it’s the business 
you’re at. I’ll not be saying more of that though. 
I’ve been overbold.” 

“ I m not disposed to blame you. I know peo- 
ple lock at the business differently. But, Miss 
Dummer, I wish to be a friend to your father, and if 
I can assist him or his family in any way I shall be 
glad to do it. He was recommended to me as a 
man I could depend upon for certain work, and 
he has done it well. I have paid him the 
.wages we agreed upon, but I am willing to 
Mouble the amount. He has fairly earned it, so 
it is no charity. Shall I pay the money to 
you 

“ I don’t know, sir. I don’t know what father 


Pure Liquors. 


^37 


would say. You are kind, but I wish he could 
do some other kind of work.” 

“ I wish he could, Miss Dummer, and if I could 
help him to some other kind of work I should be 
very glad to.” 

“Sure, sir, will you walk into my bit of a 
kitchen } There’s customers coming, and they’ll 
maybe wonder.” 

The bit of a kitchen was so tidy, and so bright 
with sunlight that it seemed almost spacious ; 
and Hermon Wyatt half envied the man or 
Avoman who could be content to dwell in siich a 
place. He knew that greed of gain was dwarf- 
ing his soul and perverting his better nature. He 
looked at the young girl before him, pale and 
drooping. Why was she doomed to poverty } 
Why must she be jostled rudely by the crowd, 
Avhile others were sheltered lovingly } 

“I hope your father will soon be better,” he 
said at length. 

“ I hope so, sir. The doctor says perhaps he 
might if he would give up drinking anything but 
tea, and coffee, and milk, and water.” By the 
use of so many substitutes Lizzie Dummer had 


All for Money. 


^3S 

avoided the one word which was to her the 
synonym of all evil. 

“ Is he disposed to follow the doctor’s prescrip- 
tion asked her companion. : 

“ He says he’d be glad to, sir. He loves 
mother and me, but it’s so long since he begun 
this way, he thinks he can’t change. If he only 
would !” 

“ He could. Other men have. Let him try 
in the right way.” 

“ Oh, please tell me how, sir.” 

“ Let him keep out of the v/ay of liquor ; keep 
where he won’t see it or smell it.” 

“ That’s what mother says, sir. But poor fa- 
ther ! He’s so bad, and now he says he’s only fit 
for one kind of work, what he does for you. But 
I’m troubling you, sir. I ought not to.” 

“You are not troubling me. Miss Dummer. I 
came here to inquire for your father,” said Mr. 
Wyatt ; and counting out some money he gave 
it into the hand of the young girl. 

Then seeing that Mrs. Ilsley was alone in her 
shop, he passed through into the street. 

“ That’s the strangest man, dear. The stran- 


Pure Liquors, 


139 


gcst man, and I speaking to him as though he was 
one of the neighbors. What ever he’ll think I 
don’t know, but ’twas the truth I told him.” 

“ See what he has given me,” responded Lizzie,, 
displaying her roll of bills. “ He’s not all bad, 
Mrs. Ilsley.” 

“No, dear, and I mind me I’ve heard liquor 
men have hearts, though it don’t seem so. Now 
take the money home and tell your father all 
about it. Give him the best of everything till 
he’s strong again.” 

“ Oh, Mrs. Ilsley, will he ever be 1 I’m afraid.” 

“Well, it’s not strange, dear, that you are. 
There’s only one way, and the doctor knows 
that. And be sure you’re loving always to your 
father. He’s not one that wants to be bad. He’s 
been led astray.” 

The sick man was waiting anxiously for his 
daughter when he heard her step, and directly she 
was saying: “ Now, father, you haint anything 
to do but get well. I’ve got lots of money, and 
you can have everything you want. Mr. Wyatt 
was in Mrs. Ilsley’s shop, and I saw him.” 

“You did, Lizzie ! How came he to be there V* 


1^0 


All for Monty, 


He said he came to inquire for you, and he 
spoke kind to me, as if he was real good.” 

“ He’s not a bad man, as men are judged. He’s 
fair to deal with, and he’s always treated me well. 
He’s new to his business ; and if I can judge he 
don’t like it over well. It’s the profits he’s 
after. But you said you had money. Where did 
you get it T' 

This question v/as answered, and the conversa- 
tion between Lizzie Dummer and Mr. Wyatt 
repeated. 

“That’s something I never heard of being done 
before,” remarked Mr. Dummer. “ If there was 
enough left of me to pay for saving I don’t know 
but I’d try what I could do. But it’s no use, wife, 
is it } I’m most gone, and the sooner I’m out of 
the way the better.” 

He was not permitted to speak longer in this 
strain. His wife and daughter pleaded with him 
to make one more effort to reform. 

“ I can’t do it,” was his despairing reply ; and 
yet the next morning, when Dr. Magee visited 
him, he consented to submit to any regimen 
which should be prescribed. 


Pure Liquors, 


141 

“ It will be up-hill work, and you’ll be ready to 
faint by the way,” sa.id the young physician. 

You must expect that, and it may be, after 
all, you will never be well ; but you can die a 
sober man, and that is worth all the effort you 
will be obliged to make. I will try to see you 
every day, and I will do what I can for you.” 

But I can’t pay for so many visits.” 

“You can pay what I shall ask. There will 
be no trouble about that.” 

Mrs. Ilsley, hearing the result of this call, said 
to tlie daughter: “Then your father’s through 
with Mr. Wyatt.” 

“ Yes, ma’am. He wont go back there. I wish 
Mr. Wyatt wouldn’t sell such bad stuff.” 

“I wish so too, but it’s likely money makes 
him. That’s what they’re all after. Mrs. Riley 
says she never’d sell another drop, only she must 
feed her children and she could get money for 
liquor.” 

“ She might sell coffee. That’s always good.” 

“ So it is. But many a man who wont pay the 
price of a cup of coffee will buy ram and whiskey. 
The poison stuff whiskey is too. Not a shadow 


142 


All fo7' Money, 


like the old Scotch whiskey I’ve heard my 
father talk about. That was stilled in out-oh the- 
way places, cheating the government, but ’twas 
made of wholesome things. Them that drinked 
it was drunk, but they warn’t ‘poisoned like as 
they be in the drinking dens here.” 

“I don’t think whiskey could ever be good.” 

“O no, dear. I’m not saying that, but there’s 
a difference as how it’s made.” 

Mr. Dummer knew far more of this than did 
the woman who thus spoke. He knew, also, 
that his physical system had been subjected to a 
process of slow poisoning, and that there was but 
one possibility of its effects being eradicated. 
As he had said, there was not much left of him. 
But what remained was fully alive to the misery 
of quivering nerves and wildly throbbing veins. 
The very pangs of death seemed to have taken 
hold upon him. 

How many others, throughout the length and 
breadth of our land, are enduring a like torture : 
themselves responsible, and yet not alone re- 
sponsible ! 

Mr. Wyatt filled the order of which mention 


Pure Liquors, 


has been made ; sending out in skilfully stained 
casks a manufactured liquor, upon which was 
realized a profit sufficiently large to satisfy the 
most avaricious dealer. 

“ Did ye mind that the masther iiiver tasted a 
dhrap himself.?” asked one Irishman of another. 

“Faith, an’ I did,” was the reply. “He’s not 
the ould man at all, but mayhap he’ll grow. 
What’ll iver he do without Dummer .?” 

“Ye may well say that, though the poor 
crathur’s on his last ligs intirely. I’d not be 
stannin’ in his shoes for money. Wyatt’s civil 
spoken, but he’ll be the masther. He kapes an 
eye out.” 

The liquor sold to a licensed retailer was sold 
again to be retailed by the glass, or half glass, to 
customers so poor, they would never presume to 
call for their drink except in the lowest grog- 
geries. And yet each man made a profit ; adul- 
terating and cheapening ; at the same time 
adding the most potent acids to give it the 
requisite strength. If tears flowed from the eyes 
of some poor wretch as he drank, so much the 
more sure was he that he had received the worth 


144 


All for Money, 


of his money. As he gasped for breath, he 
extolled the poison which nearly strangled him. 

Licensed and unlicensed. What w'as the dif- 
ference, save that in one case the vender was 
protected by law, while he paid a stipulated sum 
for the privilege of making drunkards ; and in the 
other, some bloated creature pocketed the entire 
proceeds of his miserable sales ^ 




CHAPTER VIII. 

A brother’s remonstrance. 

ERMON WYATT had been making up 
his monthly account, calculating ex- 
penditures and receipts ; and as he 
closed his ledger, the most careless observer 
would have noticed the grim smile of satisfaction 
upon his face ; and so far as dollars and cents 
were concerned, he had abundant reason for sa- 
tisfaction. Mr. Harvey’s predictions had been 
more than realized, and this gentleman was ready 
to advance any amount of funds which might be 
desired. 

Frequent letters were exchanged between the 
partners ; always having reference to business, 
and yet never one was written by the senior 
partner, in which was not some allusion to Milly 
Legrew. She had been driving with her aunt ; 



1^6 


All for Money, 


or she Avas sitting at the piano ; or, perhaps, she 
had been chatting with the writer, and the echo 
of her laughter still lingered around him. The 
young man read these letters again and again ; 
dreaming over the lines which revealed some- 
thing of the home-life he could so well enjoy. 

“Letters, sir,” said the boy whose duty it was 
to bring the mail. 

One from the many was selected and perused 
eagerly, and one paragraph of this riveted the 
attention of the reader. 

“ Milly is to remain with us through the com- 
ing summer, and we are anticipating the pleasure 
of seeing you whenever you can take a vacation.” 

Mr. Harvey judged rightly that his cousin’s 
ambition for Avealth would be stimulated by such 
seemingly careless reminders of both the past 
and future. One man might die from the effects 
of poison. Thousands of others might be ruined 
soul and body. But for all this, Hermon Wyatt 
must have money, let the consequences be Avhat 
they might. Each man must regard his own in- 
dividual interests. Liquor Avould be manufac- 
tured and sold. Why not by him, as Avell as his 


A Brother s Remonstrance, 7^7 

neighbor ? The supply would never exceed the 
demand, and he was in no way responsible for 
the demand. 

Ill employing Dummer, and paying extra wages, 
he had really done the man a kindness. He had 
also sent messages of warning and advice. It 
was far easier to sustain his position than to as- 
sume it, and he flattered himself that no more 
accusers would rise up to confront him. 

Throughout the establishment there was a 
busy activity. Panic and hard times were un- 
known here. If men failed and became despond- 
ent, there was a panacea, the price of which 
would be paid though wives and children starved. 

After an unusually busy day the merchant 
went to his hotel undecided how he should spend 
the evening. He might remain quietly by him- 
self, or he might attend a concert, and so gratify 
a taste for music which with him was almost a 
passion. 

He was debating the point when a servant an- 
nounced a visitor, and a plainly-dressed man 
bearing a striking resemblance to himself was 
admitted to his room. The exclamations : 


148 


All for Money. 


“Brother George” and “Brother Hermon ” at- 
tested to their relationship. 

“ I’d lost track of you till I saw your name in 
the paper a month or two ago, and since then 
I’ve wanted to see you so I couldn’t very well 
stay away,” remarked the elder brother, a little 
later in the evening; adding directly: “You’re 
a good looking man, Hermon.” 

“ So are you, George,” was the reply. “ I am 
glad to see you, although I didn’t expect you.” 

“ You ought to be glad, Hermon. I couldn’t 
afford to take such a journey these hard times, 
but I wanted to sec you.” 

“I’ve thought a good many times about going 
West to visit you and the other boys, but I v/as 
waiting till I made my fortune.” 

“Well, I didn’t wait for that. You’ve got a 
handsome place here.” 

“Yes, it’s comfortable.” 

“ Not much like the old home, and not much 
like my house either, though I built a new one a 
few years ago. You’ve changed a good deal 
since the last time I saw you.” 

“A man changes from fifteen to thirty. You 


A Brother s Remonstrance. 


149 

have changed, but I should have known you any- 
where. I hope you left your family well.” 

“ I did, and I have quite a family to leave. I 
have six boys and three girls ; six more of us 
than when we went West.” 

“ That is a respectable number for one house. 
I hope your boys are all brave, and your girls all 
fair.” 

“They look well enough, and so far I’ve 
nothing to complain of in their behavior. Not 
one of my boys uses tobacco or liquor. You see 
I bring them up as mother brought us up. I 
don’t forget.” 

“ No more do I. I never used tobacco or 
liquor.” 

George Wyatt looked sharply at his brother, 
remarking : “ A man who sells liquor generally 
drinks it.” 

Up to this moment the merchant had not 
thought of his business during the interview. 
Now a burning blush overspread his face, and it 
was with difficulty that he said : “ It is true that 
I sell liquor, and equally true that I do not drink 
it.” 


1^0 All for Mo:i^y. 

“ Why not ?” 

“Because I don’t believe in it. I made up my 
mind when I left home, and I havn’t seen any 
occasion to change it.” 

“I’m glad to hear it, and your looks bear out 
your words. You don’t look like a drinking man. 
I’m dead set against drinking and selling both. 
Selling liquor is the meanest business a man can 
do. How in the world did you come to go into 
it } Perhaps you think I havn’t any right to talk 
so to you, but I came on purpose. I couldn’t 
sleep nights after I saw by the paper you’d bought 
out the best located liquor store in the cit)^ 
The last I heard of you before that you was sell- 
ing grain and flour. Why didn’t you stick to it V 

“ Because I couldn’t meet my liabilities. It 
wasn’t through any fault of mine either. Some 
of my best customers failed, and everything went 
wrong. I shouldn’t have given up if I hadn't been 
obliged to ; and if I’d had a chance I should have 
started again in the same line. But I was out 
of money and out of work. I couldn’t get either, 
and I hadn’t anything to live on. I gave up 
everything, square and honest, and was ready to 


A Brother s RemonstrCcnce. 


15^ 

begin at the foot of the ladder. But a man must 
have standing room, and I couldn’t get so much 
as that. Leander Harvey sent me an invitation 
to make him a visit and I went. He wanted 
somebody to use some money for him and made 
me the offer of it. . He is the owner of the store. 
He furnished every dollar that was paid for it, 
and I am really only his agent.” 

“ Then let him run the store himself.” 

“ He don’t want to do that, and if he did there 
would be no place for me. He has enough else 
to do.” 

“And I wish you had. If I had my way you 
wouldn’t dare to sell liquor another day. You 
wouldn’t do it any more than you’d cgnimit high- 
way robbery. The two ought to be ranked to- 
gether ; though to my thinking robbery is the 
smallest crime. I believe in prohibition ; prohi- 
bition, too, that means something. I suppose you 
sell under a license 

“Yes, I mean to be fair and honest.” 

“You can’t be. There’s no such thing as a 
fair, honest liquor-seller. Selling is a fraud 
every time, and license is a fraud. Government 


1^2 All for Money. 

has no right to protect an evil it ought to pro- 
hibit.” 

“ There is a vast amount of money and an army 
of men engaged in the liquor business. Has 
government any right to confiscate this property 
and turn these men out of employment T 

“Yes, it has a perfect right to do it. Why 
not ? There ain’t many that believe in free rum, 
and everybody who don’t, acknowledges that 
government has the right to put restrictions on 
the traffic. A man can sell wholesome food 
without taking out a license or being restricted. 
I know he’s not allowed to traffic openly on the 
Sabbath, but that regulation is no burden. He 
can sell to*minors and drunkards, to anybody who 
will pay him.” 

“ He sells what people call for, and so do I. 
You talk as if the money made in the liquor busi- 
ness was thrown away. Families are supported 
with the profits, and if you had your way there 
would be more men out of employment than there 
are now. The country would be bankrupt for 
want of a sufficient revenue.” 

So you have learned to talk in that way, and 


A Brother s Remonstrance, 

if you believe what you say you are far gone. I 
didn’t reckon on your being so bad. I’m trying 
to do something for temperance in our State, and 
I thought perhaps I could have some influence 
with you. I wanted to see.” 

“ I am glad you came,” said the younger 
brother, who then proceeded to speak of other 
members of their family, thus turning attention 
from himself ; but this was only for a time. 

“Now, Hermon, let us come back to business,” 
was the remark which changed abruptly the sub- 
ject of conversation. “ I’m troubled about you. 
You aint the right kind of a looking man to be 
selling liquor.” 

“ I don’t know about that.” 

“ I do, and as I said before, if I had the power 
I’d send you to State’s prison if you kept your 
store open another day.” 

“ That would be a tyrant’s act.” * 

“ An act demanded by the good of society can 
never be tyrannical. I know all there is to be 
said on your side of the question, and it don’t 
amount to anything. It wouldn’t have a feather’s 
weight with any disinterested person, and you 


All for Money, 

know it. Liquor selling is a crime against 
humanity and an abomination in the sight of 
God.” 

“ That is wholesale condemnation of the gov- 
ernment that sanctions it. It is recognized as 
laudable and honorable.” 

“ I aint sure about that. In giving it the 
sanction of law, I rather think there’s an 
acknowledgment of it’s being an evil that must 
be regulated. If government has a right to re- 
strict it, it has just as good a right to prohibit it. 
Then, of course, it has a right to punish anybody 
that defies its power. You can’t help seeing 
that. Now answer me, brother. Would 5^ou 
ever think of defending the traffic if you hadn’t 
engaged in it ?” 

“ Well, to tell the truth. Brother George, I 
don’t suppose I should. But I have had new 
light on the .subject since I began to think about 
it seriously, and I have come to the conclusion 
that a man has a perfect right to sell any article- 
that the community wish to buy. The fact is, if 
there was no one to buy liquor there would be no 
one to sell.” 


A Brother s Remonstrance, 7^5 

‘‘Turn it round. It’s as true one side as the 
other. Then there are a good many who don’t 
care enough about it to go far out of their way 
for it. They wouldn’t go to a low, tippling 
saloon. They’d be ashamed to be seen in such 
a place, and I don’t wonder ; though, after all, 
one place is as good as another. It’s not the 
place, but the business that brings disgrace.” 

“ That is saying too much, George. You’ll 
not see any drunkards about my store and 
another thing : I’m not defrauding the govern- 
ment, like the keepers of these low saloons. I 
will insist that there’s a decided difference be- 
tween us.” 

“You sell under a license, and so throw the 
responsibility upon the government that licenses 
you. The man who sells without a license does 
it at his own risk, and takes the responsibility. I 
believe, on the whole, he has as much claim to 
be respected as you have.” 

“ That’s fanaticism with a vengeance, George. 
That’s a little ahead of anything I’ve heard 
before. Don’t you think government has a right 
to license a traffic that will bring it a large 


All for Momy, 


15^ 

revenue ; especially, if the traffic is sure to be 
carried on any \vd.y ?” 

“ No, I don’t. There are such things as right 
and wrong. There’s a higher court of reference 
than any in this world.” 

“ If you are going to discuss the matter from 
a Christian standpoint, you will have me at dis- 
advantage. I make no pretensions to religion.” 

“ I’m sorry you’re not a Christian, but if a man 
is serving the evil one' with all his strength of 
mind and body, I don’t want him to pretend he 
is serving the Lord ; and if the ruler of darkness 
has any servants in this world, they are the rum- 
sellers, no matter v/here they do their business.” 

Hermon Wyatt was angry ; all the more so 
because he could not conscientiously deny the 
truth of what had been said. 

“ You think I’m saying very severe things,”^ 
continued the visitor, who had waited vainly for 
a reply to his last remarks. “ You think I’ve no 
business to talk so, but I came here to do my 
duty. I ^vant to turn you from your evil way, 
and if I say what I think I can’t help being severe. 
Don’t lay it up against me. Brother Hermon. I 


A Brothers Remonstrance. 757 

sha’n’t stay long with you. It may be we sha’n’t 
see each other again after this little visit, till we 
meet in eternity and the speaker extended his 
hand, v/hile looking affectionately into the face of 
his companion. 

“ I wont lay up anything against you,” re- 
sponded the younger man. “I know things seem 
to you just as you represent them.” 

“ They areyxsX. as I represent’ them.” 

“ I can’t agree with you. Now suppose I should 
give up my business. Do you think there would 
be any less wine and brandy sold in the city V' 

“ I don’t know. And besides, that aint the 
question for you to settle.” 

“ I can tell you. There wouldn’t be a drop 
less sold. Somebody would buy our store just as 
it is, and the purchaser might be a worse man 
than I am. If my giving up would put a stop to 
the business, I’d give up to-morrow morning, if I 
had to go to the poor house for my life-time.” 

“ I wish to heavens the whole responsibility 
was on your shoulders. I should be glad to have 
you put to the test.” 

In that case you would see me do as I say.” 


All for Money. 


Then you don’t believe in your business. 
You don’t consider yourself engaged in a whole- 
some, remunerative industry.” 

“ It is remunerative. There is no reason to 
dispute that. Fortunes are made in it.” 

“ And ten thousand times ten thousand for- 
tunes squandered in it. It may be remunerative 
to you and a few others, but not to the masses 
of the people. It is draining the resources of the 
country to a frightful amount. We shall be a 
nation of paupers unless there is some change for 
the better. Rum manufacturers and rumsellers 
get rich, if they don’t get to be such drunkards 
that they lose all control of themselves. But the 
consumer grows poorer and poorer. Many a man 
spends half his earnings for drink, wastes what 
might give him and his family every comfort 
they need. We wont say anything about the 
time he spends in tippling, nor the time he loses 
from sickness, but all these ought to be counted 
if you’re going to make a square calculation of 
profit and loss.” 

“But I have nothing to do with that man,” said 
the merchant. “ He is a free moral agent, and 


A Brothers Remonstrance. 


^59 


I couldn’t control him if I would. Can’t you see, 
Geor.^e, that I’m not to blame for what he 
does 'i If my customers didn’t buy their liquors 
of me they would buy them of somebody else. 
So the only question for me to consider is whether 
I shall take the profits of their trade. I am do- 
ing what I think best, and I am not likely to for- 
feit the conditions of my license. A man must 
have a good moral character in order to obtain a 
license.” 

“ I wouldn’t give much for his morality. Money 
to pay the fee is pretty near all that’s needed. 
Men who believe in license aint generally them 
that believe in teetotalism. Either they’re paid 
for voting on that side, or else they like some 
kind of liquor themselves ; unless they’ve money 
in the business, or they want office. It may be 
that some honest temperance men believe in 
license, but they don’t live where I do.” 

“ There are some such,” was the curt reply. 

“ Grant that there are. Can you imagine- a 
more inconsistent set of human beings Do you 
think they ^rc really working for the cause they 
profess to love ?” 


i6o All for Money, 

“ They say they are, and I’ve no right to doubt 
their word.” 

“ Perhaps not, but by their fruits ye shall 
know them. How is it about yourself Which 
side are you on 

“ I’ve always considered myself a thorough 
going temperance man.” 

“You can’t have the face to call yourself so 
now.” 

“ I havn’t found it necessary to say anything 
about it before.” 

“Do you belong to the league that fights 
against anything like legislation on the subject 
except license .?” 

This was a home question Hermon Wyatt 
would have preferred not to hear. Only a few 
days before he had felt obliged, as a matter of 
policy, to join this league, of whose existence he 
had hardly known until its claims were presented 
to him by a brother merchant. 

In conclusion his visitor had said : “You see, 
we’ve got to have a square fight with the fana- 
tics. Our craft is in danger, but if we all hang 
together we can beat them. It’s only a princi- 


A Brother s Remonstrance, i6i 

pie with them, while it’s dollars and cents with 
us. There’s too much money invested in the 
liquor trade of the country to have it sacrificed to 
the prejudices of men and women that think the 
devil is in the wine cup. One way and another 
we can carry the elections, and then they may 
whistle for their birds.” 

This decided the matter. The young man 
enrolled his name with others of his profession. 
Of course, he also subscribed to the fund neces- 
sary to be raised, and hoped that so far as he 
was personally concerned he should be troubled 
no further in regard to it. Now he was brought 
face to face with the act, and his brother waited 
for a reply. 

“ I expect to do what is best for my present 
interest,” he said at length. “ If I am in the 
wrong track it won’t help my case if I leave it as 
poor as I started. If I stay in the trade I’m 
bound to make money out of it. I’ll do it in a 
fair way, though ; and to tell the whole truth, I 
have joined the league you mentioned.” 

“ I might have expected it, Hermon. I sup- 
pose I ought to, but some way I didn’t. I hoped 


i 62 


All for Money. 


you’d give a square no to my question. That’s 
the wickedest society there is in the country, 
and the wickedest things are done through its 
influence.” 

“ But every class of men have a right to do 
what they can to protect themselves.” 

‘‘ Yes, if they are in the right ; but not other- 
wise. You know you are doing wrong, Hermon. 
You can’t deny it. You have said things, too, 
that you don’t believe yourself. You said it 
would be an act of tyranny on the part of govern- 
ment to prohibiCthe sale of intoxicating liquor.” 

“ I don’t* think I used just those words.” 

“ No, but they amounted to the same thing. 
A law without a penalty is no law at all. Now 
it’s as plain as daylight that if government has 
the right to restrict a business because it is 
doing an injury to society, it has a right to pro- 
hibit the business altogether. You can talk 
about gunpowder, nitro-glycerine and dualine, if 
you want to, but they’re no more to the point* 
than forty other things men say when they’re 
trying to deceive themselves and other folks. I 
have told the truth about this thing. Did you 


A Brothers Remonstra^ice. 


ever know a family to be made happier by the 
use of intoxicating drinks ? Should you be will- 
ing that a young girl you loved should marry 
your best customer ?” 

“ What do you know of my best customer ?” 

“ Nothing, only he must be a drinl<ing man, 
and a rich man. I suppose you know a good 
deal more about him than that.” 

‘‘ I do I have seen- him, and I don’t think any 
young girl would be likely to fancy him. He 
has a wife and grown children.” 

“ Got a good wife .?” 

‘^As good as he deserves probably. I have 
been told that she considers herself a good judge 
of wine.” 

“ Has she any sons .^” 

Four.” 

Well, there’s no need of asking questions 
about them. They’ll be good customers for some 
rumseller, but they’ll have to come down from 
their father’s style before they die. Money melts 
away in such hands. But you havn’t answered 
my question.” 

“ What was it T' 


164 


All for Money, 


‘‘ Did you ever know a family made happier by 
the use of intoxicating drinks ?” 

‘‘ No, I never did.” 

“ But it can’t be used without producing some 
effect. It don’t make happiness, but it does 
make misery. Don't it fill our poor houses, our 
jails, and our States’ prisons ? Don’t it make 
more wretchedness than everything else ? Now, 
Hermon, if you never speak to me again while 
you live, I want you to answer these ques- 
tions.” 

“ I answer, yes. I’m not such a fool that I can’t 
see it, and I’m not such a knave as to deny it. 
But I am only one of a great many. I am in the 
business and I can’t leave it. I’m under contract 
for three years, and I can’t give it up.” 

“Are you under bonds 

“ No. Why should I be ? My name is good 
for all the contracts I make, and my word is as 
good as my bond.”. 

“ I’m glad of that. But if you felt as I do,' 
you’d find a way to get released from your con- 
tract. Come west and take up some land. Mar- 
ry a good, sensible woman, and settle down to an 


^ Brother s Remonstrance. 


honest life. You’ll have to work hard a few 
years, but you can do it without hurting yourself 
or anybody else. You’ll be a happier man than 
if you stay where you are, making money by 
destroying others.'’ 

“ Thank you, Brother George. It may be 
your plan is the best one. But I am committed. 
When three years are gone I may change. I 
can’t before.” 

“ Then I’ve lost my trouble in coming. I’m 
sorrier than you have any idea of. I can’t bear 
to think of your doing so much evil in the world.” 

Hermon Wyatt gave no heed to these last re- 
marks. He was thinking how unlike the woman 
his brother would consider good and sensible, 
was she who grew every day dearer to him. She 
was to him all that was pure and lovely ; but 
one could not expect from her much of practical 
common sense. She was too fair and sweet to 
encounter the rough, every-day world. She must 
be surrounded with luxury ; must wear soft rai- 
ment, and be served daintily. How wouW Milly 
Legrew exist as the v/ife of a poor western farm- 
er } The very idea was absurd. 


i66 


All for Money. 


“You are dreaming, Hermon.” 

“I was thinking. Pardon my absent-minded- 
ness. I am sorry to disappoint you. I appreci- 
ate all your motives in coming, and I shall be 
very happy to do everything in my power to 
make your visit pleasant to you. If I was a rich 
man I could act independently, and I should talk 
very differently from what I have talked. But a 
man must appear as consistent as circumstances 
will allow, and it would be foolish in me to con- 
demn myself. I am saying this to my brother in 
co'/ifidence. You will understand that. I had no 
idea that you were such a zealous reformer.” 

“ I havn’t been very zealous till v/ithin a year. 
I didn’t get fairly waked up to the need of reform 
before then. I was a teetotaler, and trained my 
boys to follow my example ; but I didn’t inter- 
fere with others, unless it was to speak a word of 
warning sometimes. About eighteen months ago 
a man opened a store in the village nearest to us, 
and among other things, he sold whiskey and 
other cheap liquors. He had something, too, he 
called wine and brandy. We’d been a pretty 
sober community, but it warnt two months after 


A Brothers Remonstrance, i6j 

that concern was opened before there was a 
crowd there every evening, and in three months 
most of the boys and young men within six miles 
had got a taste for liquor. 

“ My boys were the exception, and I don’t 
know but I should let things gone without trou- 
bling myself anything about them, if a poor 
woman hadn’t come to me for help to save her 
only child. She was a widow, and he was all she 
had. Her whole heart was bound up in him, and 
no wonder. He was smart and handsome, and 
as kind hearted a young fellow as ever lived. I 
begun to look round then and see what was going 
on, and I stirred up the best of our folks to get 
together and talk the matter over. We did, men 
and women, and we made up our minds to pro- 
hibit the sale of liquor in our town. 

My oldest girl was all engaged, and she 
offered to go round with a pledge against drink- 
ing, or selling, or buying any kind of goods of 
anybody that did sell. ’Twas a good square 
pledge, covering the whole ground. My Nell 
is as handsome a girl as you’ll generally see, and 
she can carry a point anybody can. She went 


i68 


All for Money, 


through the town faithfully. She didn’t slight 
the rumseller, but when it come his turn she 
went into his store and asked him to sign her 
pledge. He was a crusty old fellow at any 
time, and just then he was pretty mad at the 
way things were going, so he ordered -her out 
doors. 

“ He had two or three customers he thought 
would help him, but instead of that they took up 
for Nell, and signed the pledge. That settled 
the business. When she got ready she went 
along, and it warn’t but about six weeks before our 
storekeeper left town. Now perhaps you think 
we hadn’t any right to save our boys and young 
men. Perhaps you think that rumseller had a 
better right to make money out of them than 
we had to make good respectable citizens of 
them.” 

“ I don’t think any such thing, Brother George. 
Public opinion was on your side and against the 
storekeeper, and public opinion should rule. If 
nobody would buy of me I should close up my 
store. To my mind the responsibility rests with 
the buyers.” 


A Brother s Remonstrance, i6g 

“ Some of it does. There’s no denying that. 
But there are two parties to a transaction. You 
say public opinion should rule.” 

“ Yes, I believe in that ; and whenever you 
zealous temperance men and women can get a 
majority- of the people on your side you are sure 
to win.” 

“ How is public opinion made, Hermon } It 
don’t generally grow without cultivation. You 
rumsellers are no more willing to have the ques- 
tion agitated than you arc to have it legislated 
upon when the legislation goes against you. Let 
a man or a woman who can talk so as to reach 
the hearts of people go through the country 
lecturing, and men of your style will be up in arms 
about it. You know that as well as I do. There’s 
danger to you in an enlightened public opinion. 
You all pretend to believe in moral suasion, but 
the truth is you don’t believe in anything but the 
almighty dollar. I believe in moral suasion for 
the drunkard, and legal suasion for the drunkard- 
maker. If you think the responsibility is all 
with buyers you are mistaken. But you know 


All for Mo7iey, 


lyo 

better about that than you talk. If he who gives 
a cup of cold water receives his reward ; he who 
puts the wine-cup to his neighbor’s lips shall also 
be rewarded according to his deserts.” 




CHAPTER IX. 

THE OLD APPLE WOMAN. 

may seem strange to my readers that 
Ir. George Wyatt should have taken a 
3ng journey when he could illy afford 
it, merely for the purpose of appealing to his 
brother ; but those who knew him best would 
not count it a marvel. 

He had just been roused to something like a 
true appreciation of the evils of intemperance 
and the need of reform. By observation within 
narrow limits he had learned that supply often 
creates a demand for the article supplied, and 
that the majority of drunkards are made such 
b}^ temptations which they do not seek. 

When he found that one of his family was 
engaged in the traffic he abhorred, he fancied it 
would be easy for him *to remove this disgrace. 




172 


All for Mo7iey, 


He could not doubt that Hermon would listen to 
reasonable argument and be convinced of wrong 
doing. But he did not know with whom he had 
to deal. He had not taken into account the 
overmastering desire for gain. He was sadly 
disappointed, and when morning dawned he had 
no wish to remain longer in the city. 

“ I’m so near, it’s a pity not to see the girls, so 
I think ril make them a little visit,” he said, after 
announcing his intention of leaving in an early 
train. 

“ But you have hardly seen me yet. I can’t 
consent to part with you so soon,” was the reply. 

“ I have seen you, Brother Hermon. I think I 
am pretty well acquainted Avith you, and I am 
convinced that I can do you no good. I Avanted 
to see you.” 

“ I am sorry your visit has been such a disap- 
pointment, Brother George. I Avish I could see 
my AA^ay clear to gratify you, but I can’t. There 
is no need of quarrelling, though, because we can’t 
see things in the same light. I should be very 
glad to have you stop A\dth me.” 

“ Thank you, Hermon, but it’s best for me to 


The Old Apple -Woman, lyj 

go. Come out and make us a visit when you 
can. I’ve got some good children, and they’re 
as smart, too, as the average. Nell is the queen, 
but the others are just as near to me as she 
is.” 

“ I should like to see your Nell.” 

She would like to see you. She would talk 
to you different from what I have, and if you 
could turn her off as you have me you’re harder 
than men she’s used to seeing.” 

“What do you do with such a girl on the 
prairies 

“ Do with her Give her the best we can and 
let her manage herself pretty much for the rest. 
She’s a good scholar, and full of music to the 
ends of her fingers. About four years ago, we 
all went to work and bought a piano for her. 
We had to pinch some to make out the price, 
but the boys said that Nell should have a good 
One. We didn’t begrudge the work nor the 
pinching, and we’ve got our pay for it all a 
hundred times over. The piano didn’t cost so 
much either as a great many families drink up in 
a year.” 


7 /^ All for Alojtey, 

“ I presume not. I’m glad you have such fine 
children.” 

“/ am thankful for them, and I think I’ve a 
right to do what I can to keep them out of the 
way of temptation.” 

“ You certainly have, George.” 

“ Other parents have the same right ; and no 
man has a right to count money of more value 
than human souls. God bless you. Brother Her- 
mon, and make you to see the evil of your ways. 
Good-bye.” 

‘‘ Hands were clasped closely for a moment, 
while each looked into the eyes of the other, and 
thus they parted. Softening influences had done 
their work with one, while the other yielded a 
ready obedience to the spirit of worldliness. 

Hermon Wyatt did not throw off the yoke of 
his master, yet his obedience was less cheerful. 
He was not turned from his purpose ; but he 
entered his store that morning with a feeling of 
aversion to everything connected with it. As 
he overlooked the various processes of business 
he loathed the very atmosphere he was forced 
to breathe. It was utterly distasteful to him ; 


The Old Apple - JVomait. 

utterly unworthy of him. Then came back 
thoughts of his contract and the motives which 
had prompted him to accept its te.rms. 

“ We’re doing what I call a first-class trade,” 
remarked Mr. Crown, the confidential clerk. 

Landers’ never did better, for all he knew the 
ropes so well. That last ‘batch of champagne 
Dummer turned out was a great card for us. 
Hope he’ll be able to come back for a while be- 
fore he goes up. He can match the best of them 
the other side the big pond, and the profits all 
kept at home. The lot you ordered will be here 
soon now, and there’ll be a scramble for the 
genuine article ; but ten chances to one if 
there’s much genuine about it. We must make 
something out of that lot.”. 

The cargo of liquors came as was expected, 
and in broad daylight was transferred from the 
hold of the vessel to the spacious cellars of 
“ Wyatt & Co.” No need of concealment here. 
The firm had paid for a license, and in point of 
law had even a better right to sell their stock in 
trade than had the woman shivering at the street 
corner to sell her apples and peanuts. 


1^6 


All for Money, 


She Avas poor, and wrinkled, and old ; but she 
could remember when her wants were lovingly 
supplied ; when her face was the fairest' among 
her com*panions, and she looked forward to a life 
of happiness. From her childhood’s home she 
had gone forth gladly to assume new responsibili- 
ties without doubt or*fear. How could she dream 
that he who had wooed her so tenderly, and who 
was dearer to her than all the world beside, could 
ever doom her to wretchedness. Hers was the 
old story, told so often that it loses half its 
horror for those who hear it, yet never losing 
aught of its fearful significance to those whose 
sufferings are thus coined into words. The syren 
of the wine-cup lured astray the husband, until 
his feet slipped on the dangerous ground, and he 
fell to rise no more. 

It was well, perhaps, that his ruin should be 
sudden and complete, since his wife was saved 
the lingering agony of alternate hopes and fears ; ^ 
but she did not so see it. In her" loneliness and 
poverty her heart cried out for sympathy and 
comfort, half forgetting that an enemy more 
cruel than death had robbed her of both. As 


The Old Apple - Woman. 


m 


she v/rapped her scanty cloak around her, shrink- 
ing from the gaze of the passers by, she thought 
had he lived, her lot would have been less 
unhappy. 

Not so. Winter’s v/inds are pitiless, but the 
heart of a drunkard is more pitiless still. Hur- 
rying crowds are unheeding, but the besotted 
wretch who turns from all things pure and holy, 
that he may indulge his hellish appetite, is far 
more unheeding than the veriest stranger. 

Why the handsome man who had so often 
passed without once looking towards her should 
stop and select a rosy apple, leaving twenty 
times its value in exchange, the poor woman 
could not understand. How should she know 
that it was a peace-offering to his conscience } 
She had no opportunity to thank him, but his 
kindness brightened all the day for her, and his 
gift purchased a luxurious supper. 

Not many daj^s after he stopped again, throw- 
ing down the same amount, when she said, hur- 
riedly : “ Please wait till I give you your change.” 

“ I am satisfied with my bargain, and want no 
change,” he answered. 


All for Money, 


178 

She detained him, however, by grasping the 
skirt of his coat, and looking up into his face, 
responded with quiveri-ng lips : I can’t take it, 

sir. I can’t take it.” 

“ And why not V 

“ Because, sir, you own the big liquor store on 
the corner ; don’t you V 

^‘That is where I do business.” 

“I’m sorry, sir. You’re not the right looking 
man to sell liquor. How can you do it } If 
somebody hadn’t sold it to my husband I’d not 
be sitting here to-day. I can’t take any of the 
profits of such trade. Indeed I can’t, sir, poor 
as I be.” 

He was gone, and a child stood before her who 
wanted the very biggest apple in her basket for 
a sick mother ; and directly she was saying : 
Yes, dear, you shall have it and welcome. Keep 
57our pennies to buy bread.” 

“ How good you are !” exclaimed her humble 
customer, hastening away ; leaving her to won- 
der at her boldness in addressing Mr. Wyatt as 
she had done. 

“I couldn’t help it — I couldn’t help it,” she 


The Old Apple - Womxn, ijg 

murmured. “ I couldn’t take the price of another 
woman’s happiness. I’d starve before I’d do it,’* 
and she shuddered as she' remembered how near 
this fate had come to her. 

“ What a nuisance these sidewalk dealers are ! 
I wish to mercy it was against the law to sell 
anything from a basket. It’s time such sales 
were prohibited. Somebody ought to petition 
the legislature to abate this nuisance. I can 
bear it in summer, but in cold weather these 
hungry looking women annoy me terribly. 
When they look at me I always feel as though 
they were blaming me for their poverty.” 

So the speaker did believe in prohibition, after 
all, notwithstanding he opposed it as unconstitu- 
tional and tyrannical. Consistency was no part 
of his own character or his companion’s. They 
talked loudly of justice and equal rights ; 3^et 
denounced all who opposed them in any of their 
schemes ; and the fact that they were on their 
way to talk with Mr. Wyatt in regard to matters 
of common interest, betrayed their vocation. 

Quick to see where danger threatened, they 
were anxious to bring to the front one whose 


i8o 


All for Money, 


antecedents and fine personal appearance would 
command respect. There was to be a liquor 
dealers’ convention, and it was necessary that 
the craft should be represented by its best mem- 
bers. All this was frankly stated ; but to their 
surprise, he whom they most wished to influence 
manifested no enthusiasm in the cause they ad- 
vocated. 

“ Our business is the most important in the 
country,”, was said, at length. “ There is more 
money invested in it than in any other. ' The 
money paid for liquor every year is millions more 
than is spent for flour, meal, cotton and woollen 
goods, boots, shoes, clothing, books, news- 
papers and job printing. According to - the 
census of i860 the value of liquors Avhich paid 
duty and were consumed in the country was 
seven hundred and thirty-nine millions of dollars. 
You can see for yourself, Mr. Wyatt, setting 
aside all selfish considerations, that our govern- 
ment can never afford to lose such a revenue.” 

“Then, as the case is so plain, gentlemen, I 
don’t see the necessity of conventions and 
leagues. It seems to me the government can be 


The Old Apple - TVomci7t. i8i 

trusted to protect itself. I have never thought 
much about it, any way, and can’t reasonably be 
expected to know the arguments for and against.” 

You must have found out one thing by this 
time, Mr. Wyatt. Ours is a money-making 
business. We can afford to bid high for the 
privilege of carrying it on. I don’t care much 
what is charged for a license. Anything but 
prohibition. That is too arbitrary to be tole- 
rated. A man has a right to choose his own 
trade or profession, and having chosen it, he has 
a right to protection in the discharge of its 
functions.” 

“ That is true.” 

‘‘.Yes, absolutely true, Mr. Wyatt,” said the 
gentleman who had hitherto been silent during 
the discussion, but who had expressed himself in 
favor of prohibition when annoyed by the sight 
of the poor apple woman. “The fanatics admit 
this to a certain extent ; but they say that every 
owner of property holds it under the implied con- 
dition that its use shall not work injury to the 
equal enjoyment and safety of others who have an 
equal right to the enjoyment of their property ; 


i 82 


All for Money, 


nor be injurious to the community. I think I 
have quoted their very words, and they quote 
from the ruling of some supreme court. Now, 
then, the question is, does our trade work injury to 
others } I say, when carried on under proper re- 
strictions, it does not. I don’t believe in free rum, 
sold over every counter ; and drunkenness is my 
detestation. But stimulants have their use, and 
in their way are as necessary as food. I know 
that is denied, but the denial comes from our 
enemies. They oppose us by every argument 
they can command.” 

“ And I suppose they have a right to do that, 
Mr. Marston. Of course you believe in fair play, 
and as long as we have the law on our side we 
can afford to let people say what they please.” 

“That’s all very well, friend, but to come down 
to a fine point, we can’t afford to have them stir 
up such a feeling in the community as they’re 
aiming at. A great many will be influenced to 
act against us, and there’s always danger that we 
may lose any given election and the law be 
turned against us. As long as the license party 
is in power, we are all right ; but if it comes to 


The Old Apple - Woman, i8j 


prohibition, as it has in some other States, we 
shall be hard up. If the fanatics call conventions, 
we must call conventions too. You may depend 
upon it they’ll have telling speeches from the 
smartest men and women in their ranks, and we 
must match them.” 

Do you mean to say that you expect women 
to meet you in conventions, and speak in favor 
of the trade r asked Mr. Wyatt. 

“No, I don’t expect it. I think we men are 
capable of managing our business without any 
of their help. And besides, the platform-women 
of the country are all on the other side. Perhaps 
it is as well they should be. I don’t believe in 
such women, though they have an influence, and 
their number is increasing every year.” 

“ Then, of course, their influence is increasing.” 

“ Certainly it is, and there is so much the more 
need of combined action on our part. I can’t 
afford to give up my business. It’s the only de- 
partment of trade that holds its own through all 
sorts of times. Now, what we want of you, and 
what your interests demand, is that you take an 
active part in our efforts.” 


iS^. 


All for Money, 


“ Yes, Mr. Wyatt, that is just what we want,” 
chimed in another voice. “ It wont do to be 
lukewarm in this matter, and — we can say it 
among ourselves — it wont do to be over-squeamish 
as to the means we use to effect our purpose. All 
is fair in love and war ; and the prohibitionists 
have inaugurated a war. They niean business 
too.” 

“They have some show of reason on their side.” 

“ Well, I don’t know but they have ; but it 
wont do to make any such concession. We’ve 
got to stand on the defensive, and not yield an 
inch. The question is, are you ready to help ? I 
hope you’re not ashamed of your business.” 

This last was said a little sharply, and the man 
thus addressed saw that he was in danger of los- 
ing the confidence of his associates. There was 
but one way open to him. 

“ I entered the business because at the time it 
seemed the best thing I could do, and I expect to 
identify myself with it,” he replied^ “ Yet I still 
claim the right to my own private opinion. 
There are some things connected with the traffic 
that I don’t approve.” 


7 he^ Old Apple - Woman, i8^ 


“ If you come down to the plain truth, I v/ohder 
who does approve of them. Nobody pretends 
that we are evangelizing the world. That’s not 
our trade. We are only doing the best-paying 
business we can, and leaving other people to look 
out for themselves.” 

“ That is true,” responded Mr. Wyatt quickly. 
“ I don’t know as we ought to be expected to 
look out for other people. I shall be ready to do 
my part for the protection of our trade. I have 
too much at stake not to do so.” 

This was true. When left alone he consulted 
his ledger, as he was accustomed to do whenever 
he felt troubled, and the expression of annoyance 
faded from his face. He was reassured. He 
could afford to run some moral risks, and these 
risks did not seem so momentous as they had 
done a few months before. Spring was at hand, 
and summer would come. This thought was 
sufficient to inspire him with new energy. 

He was no man’s keeper. The right of choice 
remained to each one of his customers. They 
could come and go at their pleasure without 
restraint from him. 


i86 


All for Money, 


He avoided passing* the old apple-woman’s 
stand, but he could not avoid thinking of Mr. 
Dummer. He wished to hear from the sick man, 
and in order to do this it was necessary that he 
should again visit Mrs. Ilsley. Accordingly, he 
did so, and somewhat to his surprise he was 
welcomed cordially. She could not find it in her 
heart to condemn him with others of his class ; 
pleading as an apology for her want of severity, 
that he was a pleasant-spoken gentleman, and 
ready to do a kindness. 

“ Mr. Dummer has been having the hardest 
time, sir,” she said, in answer to his question. 
“ The doctor says it’s just doing without liquor, 
and ’twas the liquor that brought on all the 
trouble, to begin with.” 

I hope he can be persuaded to let it alone in 
future.” 

*‘Well, sure sir, it’s kind in you to say that, 
and you in the business. There’s a fine lady 
there now ; not fine in silks and satins, but just 
in real goodness. She’s Mr. Dummer’s aunt, and 
she’s come for him to go home with her. Lizzie 


The Old Apple -Woman* i8y 


thinks she’s almost an angel, and you wouldn’t 
wonder, if you’d hear her talk.” 

“ Can Mr. Dummer be moved 

“ The doctor says he may be soon, perhaps, if 
all goes well with him, and he’s promised solemn 
to let liquor alone forever. His aunt will be sure 
to look close after him. She lives on a farm, and 
she says there’s room enough in her house for 
them all.” 

Then I hope he will go, and the sooner the 
better. Please tell him so for me, Mrs. Ilsley, 
and tell his daughter that I hope he will live to 
be as good a man as she deserves to have for a 
father. I never wish to see him in my store 
again.” 

“Sure, sir. I’ll tell them, and they’ll be that 
glad to hear it. I wish you’d see their aunt, but 
then she’d not be particular what she said.” 

“ I should like to see her, but I’ve no time to 
spend to-day.” 

“You’ll be seeing Mr. Dummer, I hope, sir, 
before he goes 

“I don’t know. I am interested for him and 
should be glad to help him. I have been trying 


i88 


All for Money. 


to think of some country place where he could 
go, but it seems he is provided for.” 

There was one window in the room which 
served as kitchen, parlor, and dining-room for 
Mr. Dummer’s family, through which it was 
possible to see a small section of the street and 
catch glimpses of the people who were passing. 
Lizzie had been standing at this window, think- 
ing so earnestly that she hardly noticed what was 
transpiring around her, when she exclaimed : 
“ There’s Mr. Wyatt and bounding awa}^ was 
down the stairs and in the street before any one 
could guess her purpose. There was not a mo- 
ment to lose if she would detain him. 

“Mr. Wyatt” 

The name was uttered softly. The gentleman 
turned, and with a look of surprise responded : 
“ Miss Dummer, what can I do for you V 

“ Please come and see my father,” was her re- 
ply. “ He wants to see you, and were going 
away. Please will you come i^” 

He did not wish to go,- yet how could he re- 
fuse such a request. He allowed himself to be 
guided across the street ; up rickety stairs, and 


The Old Apple - Woman, 28 g 

through dark, narrow halls, until a door was 
opened into the cleanest of all clean rooms. 
Here sat Mr. Dummer, who made an effort to 
stand as his employer entered. 

Don’t rise,” was said, hurriedly. “I am glad 
to see you better than you have been.” 

‘‘Thank you. You have been ver}^ kind to 
me, and I am glad of an opportunity to acknowl- 
edge your kindness.” 

“ I have done no more than was my duty. I 
should be glad to do more for you.” 

Again the sick man expressed his appreciation 
of the favors he had received, and then intro- 
duced his wife and his aunt to their visitor. It 
needed no second glance to see that the daugh- 
ter’s dower of beauty was a direct inheritance, 
although the mother’s face was pale and faded. 

Miss Dummer, or Aunt Lucy, as she was 
addressed by the family, was a woman who had 
lived in the world for half a century without 
being soured b}^ disappointment or disheartened 
by adversity. Brothers and sisters were settled 
in homes to which she had no claim. Her 
parents had died, and she was left alone in the 


igo All for Money, 

brown cottage where she had first opened her 
baby eyes. She looked about to see how she 
might fill the vacancies death had made ; and 
tracing her nephew to this city, had come here 
with the firm determination to save him. He 
had been a favorite with her when he was a boy, 
and now when even his own mother had given 
him up as past hope, she resolved to make one 
last effort in his behalf. 

She was not one to condemn a person as wholly 
bad, so long as aught could be said in his favor •; 
and notwithstanding she was sternly severe in her 
condemnation of the liquor traffic, she was ready 
to believe that men engaged in it might have 
some redeeming qualities. Her mantle of charity 
was scant covering for their sins ; yet she willingly 
extended it to its utmost length and breadth. 

She looked at Mr. Wyatt with a steady gaze ; 
scanning every liniament of his face, and then said 
frankly : “I should never take you for a rum- 
seller. You were made for something better. I 
told Joseph there must be some good about you, 
or you wouldn’t give him the money and advice 
you have.” 


The Old Apple -Woinan, 


191 


“ I hope there is some good about me,” replied 
the embarrassed merchant. 

“I hope so too, and I wish there was a great 
deal more. I’m going to take Joseph away into 
the country, so you’ll lose his help.” 

“ I am glad of that. I never wish for any 
more of his help until I am in a different busi- 
ness.” 

“Then I’ll be glad to come, Mr. Wyatt, if I’m 
living,” said Joseph Dummer, heartily but sadly. 
“You’ve treated me well, but it warnt the place 
for me, though ’twas all I was fit for. I was 
pretty near finished up at Reeves, and he thought 
I could help you get started before my breath 
left my body. That’s all he cared for me. I 
understood that. I’ve made thousands of dollars 
for him, but I might have starved before he’d 
given me a penny. He gives his money where it 
will make a show, and where his name will get 
in the papers. Pretends to be a Christian, but I 
wouldn’t give any more for his chance up yonder 
than I would for my own. If you was like him, 
3^ou wouldn’t trouble yourself about what become 
of me.” 


ig2 


• All for Money, 


“There was some further conversation, and 
then Mr. Wyatt bade them all farewell, hoping 
to meet them again under happier auspices. 

“ Good-bye, sir,” said Miss Lucy Dummer, 
adding seriously : “ God give you eyes to see 
your sins, and grace to repent of them. We 
shall remember you and pray for you.” 




CHAPTER X. 

A LAUDABLE INDUSTRY. 

y\YS, weeks, and months went by. With 
the advance of spring- had come some 
improvement in financial matters, so 
that men took heart again and applied themselves 
to various departments of business with renewed 
courage. 

At the hotel table Hermon Wyatt met an old 
accjuaintance whom he had not seen before since 
his failure. Their meeting was cordial, and 
when both were at leisure they sat down to a 
quiet talk. 

“ How are you doing now, Forsyth asked he 
who assumed the office of host. 

“Doing a little more than support my family,” 
was the reply. “ Couldn’t do that either if my 
wife wasn’t the best manager in the world. I 



All for Moriey, 


m 

never expected it of her, but I’ve found out I 
didn’t half understand her. We’ve taken part of 
a tenement and live as happily as the richest 
man in the city.” 

“Your part of a tenement must be spacious to 
accommodate the furniture that was put into 
your house when you were married.” 

“ Most of that furniture was sold under the 
hammer. We made a terrible sacrifice on it, but 
’twas the best we could do. We kept just 
enough to make our rooms habitable ; and since 
then we’ve been adding articles of home manu- 
facture, not so elegant, but quite as comfortable. 
When we began to retrench I gave up wine and 
cigars, and I’m as jolly a fellow without them as 
you can find anywhere. I remember you used to 
be a teetotaler.” 

“Yes, I Avas, and I am now. Glad to hear 
you’ve joined the ranks.” 

“ It’s something I’m more than glad of. I’m 
thankful. I’m beginning to think my failure was 
the best thing ever happened to me. I got 
credit after awhile and started business in a small, 
safe way, that gives us a living, and that’s all a 


A Laudable Lidusiry, 


man ought to expect these hard times. Now, 
how is it with you, Wyatt ’ I didn’t quite believe 
it when I heard you were in the liquor trade. 
Excuse me, but you are the very last man I should 
have expected to hear such a report of.” 

People always would say something like this to 
Mr. Wyatt, until he fancied he should be glad 
never to see another person who had known him 
previous to his failure. His companion waited 
for him to speak ; and because he could not avoid 
it he explained the circumstances which had de- 
cided him in a choice of business. 

“You are protected by law in this State,” 
remarked Mr. Forsyth. 

“ Yes, I have a license, and I don’t know why 
I need have any scruples about a trade that is 
indorsed by the government.” 

“ There’s a good deal in that, Wyatt, but since 
I’ve joined the teetotalers I’m a convert to pro- 
hibition. The expense of drinking liquor and the 
misery it causes would justify the most arbitrary 
measures for its suppression. I called myself a 
very moderate drinker, and I don’t think any one 
of my friends ever thought of me as being worse 


All for Money. 


ig6 

than that ; but it is true that we have lived some 
weeks on less money than I used to spend in the 
same time for liquor and cigars.” 

That may be, but you were never obliged to 
spend your money in that way. There are now as 
many places where you can buy liquors and cigars 
as there were then, and you could do as you 
please about patronizing them then, the same as 
you can now.” ' 

“ I understand your argument, and your state- 
ment is undeniably true. But it’s not every man 
who can exercise his free will as I did. There 
arc thousands of poor fellows so far gone that the 
very thought of liquor drives them nearly crazy 
with longing for it. It was a hard case for me to 
give it up, myself, and to-day I can’t see a glass 
of wine poured out v/ithout an impulse to seize 
it. You can’t understand this, Wyatt. No one 
can who has never acquired an appetite for such 
stimulants. It’s a miserable thing to do ; a 
miserable thing ; and all you or any other 
man whose money interests are concerned can 
say, your craft pander to an appetite which, 
to state it moderately, brings ruin more or 


A Laudable Industry, 

less complete to one-half its possessors. I wish I 
could make you see these things as I do.” 

If I did I should be no happier man than I am 
now. I am under contract, and must serve my 
time.” This was said with a sorry attempt at 
pleasantry; the speaker adding : “If my business 
is an evil, I must insist that it is not an unmiti- 
gated evil. It brings an enormous revenue to 
the government and gives employment to quite 
an army of men. There’s money in it in more 
ways than one.” 

“There’s money in it for the manufacturer and 
the seller, with death for the consumer and 
shame for our government. I suppose that 
sounds harsh to you, Wyatt, and it wouldn’t be 
strange if you should think I had lost my courtesy 
with my property. If you choose, you can tell 
me that I am trespassing on 3^our private 
domains.” 

“I don’t choose to tell you that, and I don’t 
know why I should,” was the hesitating reply. 
“A business sustained by government ought to 
stand upon its ov/n merits. I am surprised to 
find you so ultra in your opinions, but I suppose 


All for Money, 


ig8 

it is to be accounted for by the fact that new con- 
verts are always zealous. I shall take no offence 
at what you say, and if you get the best of the 
argument I’ll not deny it, although I may still 
maintain my right to act in accordance with my 
judgment.” 

“Certainly. l am not the keeper of your con- 
science, neither can I give account for you in the 
day of judgment. You must act as you please 
and bear the responsibility for yourself. But 
have you ever examined the statistics of the 
country with reference to the cost and expend- 
iture for liquor T' 

“ No, I never have, Fors3'th. The truth is that 
up to the time of my going into the business I 
never thought much. about it; and since then 
I have had no inclination to trouble myself 
with an array of figures that don’t concern 
me.” 

“ They do concern you. They concern every 
man, woman, and child in the country. The 
welfare of the humblest individual is affected by 
the facts they represent. I want to ask you a 
question, and I know you will answer it honestly. 


A Laudable Industry, igg 

Do you consider the use of intoxicating liquors 
beneficial 

“No, Forsyth, I do not. I never used them.” 

“One might know that by your splendid 
physique. There’s not a mark of it from your 
head to your feet. That’s a compliment, Wyatt, 
but it came spontaneously. I had no thought 
of it. Now let us go back to the question. If 
the use of liquor is not beneficial it must be inju- 
rious. Such an enormous quantity can’t be 
consumed without producing some effect. You 
will admit that 

“ Of course I will. I’m not' so stupid as to 
deny self-evident facts.” 

“ I knew you were too sensible to do it, but 
there are some who deny everything which can 
possibly tell against them.” 

“ They feel obliged to do it in self-defence, 
Forsyth. Some of the leader^ of the crusade 
against liquor make the most extravagant state- 
ments, and I suppose they think the good of the 
cause demands it.” 

“ They think it demands that the truth should 
be spoken. At first sight il^ seems as though 


200 


All for Money, 


their startling statements must be false, but I am 
beginning to think that it is impossible to over- 
estimate the evils of which liquor is the cause. 
It costs the country over six hundred millions of 
dollars every year ; and if nobody is benefitted, 
there is, at least, an enormous waste no country 
on earth can afford.” 

Are you sure of what you say T\ asked ITer- 
mon Wyatt, looking fixedly at his companion. 

“ Figures never lie, and the statistics I am 
quoting have been gathered from the most 
reliable sources. I can give you my authorities.” 

“No matter about it. I presume you are cor- 
rect.” 

“ I know I am, and the estimate is less than 
the truth. The whole number of dram shops is 
reckoned at two hundred and fifty thousand. It 
will require at least five hundred thousand men 
to take charge of them, and five hundred dollars 
would be a very moderate salary for each man. 
But to pay them that, two hundred and fifty mil- 
lion dollars would be expended. Then the grain, 
fruit, and molasses destroyed by being made into 
alcohol must be set%down at fifty millions of dol- 


A Laudable Industry, 


201 


lars. Now if all this money was invested in some 
pursuit which would benefit the cohntry, think 
how much more prosperous we should be. If all 
these men were at work in some useful calling, 
think how much they might accomplish for them-’ 
selves and the world. If all the grain, fruit and 
molasses were distributed among the poor of our 
land, how much comfort they would give. You 
can see all that.” 

** Yes, I can” ; and for the moment the speaker 
forgot that he was engaged in the unholy traffic. 

“But bad as is the story my figures have told, 
the end is not yet. Everybody knows that the ex- 
cessive use of intoxicating liquor makes a brute 
of a man and disposes him to commit the most 
terrible crimes. No man is wholly given over to 
evil unless he is under the influence of some alco- 
holic stimulant. That is what fills our states 
prisons, jails and poor-houses. It is what makes 
husbands murder their wives by inches, if not by 
a single blow of the knife. It makes fathers leave 
their children to starve, and fills our land v.dth 
the wailing of breaking hearts.” 

“Well, Forsyth, I must that you have a 


202 


All for Money, 


g-ift for talking I never dreamed’ you possessed. 
You would rhake an eloquent advocate of teeto- 
tal temperance.” 

“I try to advocate that cause. But when I 
am most anxious to influence my audience I find 
that I fail altogether. So long as the law sus- 
tains men in selling the poison, just so long it 
will be Sold.” 

“ Probably it will be. A trade that is legal is 
very likely to be pursued ; especially when it is 
lucrative.” 

“ That is just the point, Wyatt. The govern- 
ment must prohibit it and make it illegitimate. 
That is why I believe in prohibition and intend 
to work for it. Government has a right to pro- 
hibit it. There’s not a shadow of doubt abo.ut 
that ; and having the right, it is under the most 
solemn obligations to exercise it. The assertion 
that this would be arbitrary and unjust is dis- 
proved by those who claim that government can 
rightfully restrict the sale ; making it a crime to 
sell without license. Alcoholic liquors should 
be made contraband, except when used for me- 


A Laudable Industry, 


203 


dicinal or art purposes ; and every year our best 
physicians are using them less.” 

“ Well, Forsyth, suppose I should agree with 
you, and acknowledge the whole thing to, 
be as bad as you have represented. What 
then r 

*‘Then, if you are the man I take you for, you 
would never sell another drop of the stuff while 
you live.” 

Suppose I shouldn’t sell another drop. What 
would be gained 

“ The approval of your own conscience.” 

“Possibly. But you were considering it in 
relation to others. What other gain would there 

be r 

“There might be one less engaged in the 
wretched business.” 

“ That would make small difference with five 
hundred thousand, and it is more than doubtful 
if there would be that. As I look at it, there is 
only one question for me to decide. Shall I take 
a share of the profits of this trade, or shall some 
other man take it and make no better use of the 
money than I should } Then, as I told you, this 


204 


All for Money. 


Avas the only thing that offered, and I couldn’t 
afford to remain idle.” 

' “ You and I v/ere both brought up in the 
country, Wyatt. We know hoAV to work on a 
farm, and I made up my mind to go to work as I 
did when I was a boy, if nothing better offered.” 

“ I might have done that, Forsyth, but I got 
enough of farm-work before I was twenty-one. I 
want to make money faster than I can by raising 
corn and potatoes.” 

“I don’t blame you for that. I like to get 
well paid for my work.” 

“So does every man, and he’s not to blame for 
it either. You’ve talked very plainly to me and 
I don’t blame you for it. Now I’m going to take 
the liberty to give you some advice. If I was 
engaged in the reform you urge so zealously, I 
should appeal to the drinkers of liquor, and that 
is what I advise you to do. You can make a 
strong case against them, and it seems to me 
there’s the very place for you to begin. Moral 
suasion is the best of suasions, and when a drun- 
kard is sober he knows he is the most miserable 
creature in the world. His whole material into- 


A Laudable Industry, 


20S 


rest is on your side, and there is everything for him 
to gain by abandoning his cups.” 

“ True, every* word of that, Wyatt, but it deals 
with only one side of the question. Moral* sua- 
sion is good so far as it goes, but there are those 
who are not touched by it. So I say moral sua- 
sion for the drunkard, and legal suasion for the 
drunkard-maker. Your material interests are all 
on the side of wrong. You have acknowledged 
that ; and money is often a too powerful argu- 
ment for mere words to combat. If a victory is 
to be achieved we must use all the weapons at 
our command.” 

“ Then you have faith that you shall achieve a 
victory.” 

As truly as I believe our nation shall endure. 
We shall be ruined unless temperance and sobri- 
ety gain the ascendancy. Intemperance is the 
curse of the land. The entire population is taxed 
to meet the expense of crime and pauperism in- 
duced by it. You know that as well as I do.” 

*‘Ihave denied none of your statements, For- 
syth ; I have allowed you to say your say.” It 
was evident, however, that he who had listened 


2o6 


All for Money. 


\vith something of grace and patience was now 
strongly tempted to decline hearing further of 
this matter. 

‘‘ 1 know you have,” was replied good naturedly, 
“but I can’t flatter myself that I have influenced 
you in the least.” 

“You have told me some things I shall be sure 
to remember ; some, too, I didn’t know before.” 

“ But I have not told you the worst. The 
darkest side of the picture has been turned away 
from you. Desolated homes and broken vows — 

“I know all about that,” exclaimed Hermon 
Wyatt impatiently, interrupting his friend. 
“Everybody knows that a drunkard is a perjured 
wretch. There’s no use in talking about it.” 

“ But just now you advised me to appeal to 
drunkards, and told me I could make a strong 
case against them ; and thinking of that reminded 
me of the wretchedness they bring to others.” 

“ But I am not one of that class. Pardon me, 
Forsyth, but you are wasting your words. They 
will produce no effect, so far as my life is con- 
cerned.” 

“ I am sorry for that. I always thought of you 


A Laudable Industry, '20^/ 

as a man of eminent practical sense, and such 
men are open to conviction. If they can be made 
to see that they have been mistaken they are 
glad to retrieve their error. You have made a 
mistake.” 

“ That remains to be proved. If I accomplish 
my purpose, that is all I expect.” 

You may do that. It is easy to make money 
in your business. I used to consider myself a 
pretty good judge of wines, but I presume I often 
paid a high price for what cost the merchant not 
a hundredth part of what I paid him. I am not 
absolutely certain of this, and I am not going to 
ask for any confession on your part. But it is 
well known that liquors are adulterated to such 
an extent that they are really and truly poison. 
Of course, I understand that is how the enormous 
profits are made, and I don’t wonder that a dealer 
in liquor gets to feel that it makes no differeKce 
what he sells if his customers are only satisfied. 
But they can’t claim the protection .of law in 
doing that. A man isn’t licensed to sell a de- 
coction of logwood, alum, lead, sulphuric, prussic 
and other acids, with a host of other ingredients. 


2o8 


All for Money, 


Queer grapes are the copperas stones used in the 
manufacture of port wine.” 

•‘You seem to be well posted in what outsiders* 
call the tricks of the trade, Forsyth. I wonder 
how you learned, so much V 

“ IVe been spying out the enemy’s country ; 
making a study of its weak points, so I shall know 
where to direct my batteries. Whatever may 
be said of the right to sell pure alcoholic liquors, 
no man dares to claim the right to sell a solution 
of mineral poisons as a health-giving beverage. 
Government prohibits this, although the law 
against it is little more than a dead letter. 
Everybody knows such things are done ; but 
the free masonry of the trade, and the money 
spent for its protection cover up the frauds. 
I don’t expect you to criminate yourself, but 
you’ve been initiated into the mysteries before 
now.” 

No response was made to this assertion, and 
for a time not a word was spoken. At length 
Mr. Forsyth said : “ If you are angry with me I 
can’t blame you. I had no intention of holding 
forth in this strain, but I am so full of my mission 


A Laudable Industry, 20p 

I forget to temper zeal with prudence. I owe 
you an apology.” 

I wish for no apology from you,” was replied 
with an effort to speak cordially. I like to see 
a man in earnest in whatever he undertakes. I 
respect any man who tries to do his best, even 
if his efforts are misdirected. When I have 
committed myself to a certain course of action 
I feel bound to persevere at all hazards. That is 
my present position, Forsyth. I make no excu- 
ses, and offer no plea for my justification. I am 
simply doing what I have decided to do, and I 
see no good reason for changing my decision.” 

“ I understand that. .You have spoken plainly, 
and I have no wish to make myself obnoxious to 
you. Still I wish to ask you one more question 
pertaining to a general principle. Don’t you 
consider that the different States have a right to 
prohibit the sale of, liquors within their pre- 
cincts V' 

“ Certainly I do. It would be sheer folly in 
me to pretend otherwise. License men know 
that, and act with reference to it. It’s not a 
question of right, but of self-interest. It would 


210 


All for Money, 


be considered treason in certain quarters for me 
to say that, but it is true.” 

^ “It is true ; and I thank you for acknowledg- 
ing it. If we can’t act alike in this matter, it 
gratifies me to know that we think alike.” 

“ Possibly we do think alike,” answered Her- 
mon Wyatt, yet none the less was he resolved 
to make haste to be rich. 

Had a fortune come into his possession by in- 
heritance, he would have torn down the sign 
upon which his name was blazoned before the 
rising of another sun. He could have talked 
even more eloquently than Mr. Forsyth of the 
abominations committed under sanction of law. 
The half had not been told. 

Illicit stills in mountain fastnesses, and deep, 
damp cellars defraud the government of its dues 
in dollars and cents. Distilleries and licensed 
liquor establishments rob the country of its 
choicest possessions— the health, happiness and 
virtue of its inhabitants, and there are few to 
sound the note of alarm. It is not that men 
hate their fellows, and therefore seek to drag 
them down to the lowest depths qf sin and mis- 


A Latidable hidustry. 


2II 


cry ; but that every noble, loving instinct is 
overpowered by an inordinate greed of gain. 
They cannot serve God and mammon, and for 
the service of the latter they are repaid in glit- 
tering coin whose baseness they fail to recog- 
nize. 



i 





CHAPTER XI. 

POOR PAT. 


AT McQUADE, occupying a back-room 
on the ground-floor of a large tenement 
house, was suspected of selling liquor, 
and a watch was kept upon his movements until 
the officer was sure of him. 

Tin cups and battered pails, bottles, and cracked 
cups of the coarsest earthernware had been 
carried carelessly through the filthy alley and 
then brought out carefully, as though they con- 
tained the very elixir of life. Some of these cups 
being seized, they were found filled with what in 
common cellar-parlance is styled rotgut whiskey; 
a compound so abominable that only the poorest 
will purchase it ; and tolerated by them for no 
other reason than that they must have some 
stimulant, and this is all they have the means to 
procure. 



Poor Pat, 


2^3 


It is sharp and pungent, giving them a sensa- 
tion of warmth, and if by any good fortune they 
can secure a sufficient quantity, rendering them 
insensible to their surroundings. Fastidious 
wine-drinkers exhaust themselves in denouncing 
the villanous stuff ; but there are many now drink- 
ing it eagerly who once sipped sparkling cham- 
pagne with the best. 

Poor Pat ! He was out of work, and he had a 
family dependent upon him. He was willing to 
perform the most menial labor and accept the 
smallest wages. But day after day he returned 
empty-handed to his poor home ; finding his only 
solace in smoking whenever he chanced upon a 
bit of tobacco thrown aside by one more affluent 
than himself. Hard times for such as he. 

One morning he was surprised by the sight of 
a face familiar to him in the old country, and upon 
comparing notes with his humble friend, learned 
how money could be made without working for it, 
A keg of whiskey was equivalent to a mine of 
wealth. So he was told, and forthwith taught 
the process of cheap adulteration. The sample 
submitted to his taste was quite as good as he 


214 


All for Money, 


had bought of others when he had been able to 
pay for “ a dhrap.” 

To start in business required but a small out- 
lay, which unfortunately he was able to make. 
His profits were large upon a small scale ; and 
but for the fact that he was too good a customer 
at his own bar — which bar consisted of a rough 
board supported by two barrels — his family might 
have lived in comparative comfort. 

His prosperity was of short duration. He had 
not paid for the privilege of doctoring and selling 
his whiskey, and it would nt^ver do to allow such 
a crime to go unpunished. 

“ Be jabbers, what’s that ye’re afther sayin’ 
exclaimed the Irishman, when told that he was 
under arrest. 

A short explanation sufficed to enlighten him 
upon this point, and then his indignation was 
poured forth in a torrent of words well nigh over- 
powering. 

“ Sure, whuskey’s as frae as wather in the strates 
if you’ve but the money to pay. Ye know that 
yerself, sir, and I’m not dootin’ ye’re afther drink- 
in’ it. License, is it, ye talk aboot ! What sort of 


Poor Pat, 


215 


a crathur might that be ? I’m jist doin’ a bit of 
thradin’ in me own house ; an’ what right have the 
likes uv ye to be interfarin’? I’m an honest lad, 
jist thryin’ to git a sup for me family. There’s 
niver sich another counthry. It’s all chate and 
hoombug. Wa’nt I tould the puir had their rights 
the same as the rich uns, an’ niver a word of truth 
til the story. Sorra the day I iver left me own 
tourf cabin beside the bog, and firin’ for the cootin. 
Be ye afthar pickin’ up the jintlemen that sells 
whuskey and wine, and sich like V 

We don’t arrest any who have a license for 
selling.” 

Wall, it’s quare now, and I can’t pnderstand 
it at all, at all. It’s worse than the ould counthry, 
onless may be it’s the same that lords can shoot 
and poor uns can’t.” 

These few sentences will give my readers an 
idea of the Irishman’s sense of injustice ; and as 
no more than these were understood by the officer 
to whom they were addressed, I may be pardoned 
for making no fuller report. 

His stock of liquor was at this time very low ; 
so there was really but small loss from the de- 


2i6 


All for Money. 


struction which seemed to those who witnessed it 
to be so unnecessary. In his harangue Pat more 
than once referred to the corner store where the 
liquor was “ poured out in a big strame, an* niver 
a dam to hould it back.” It was impossible for 
him to comprehend why he should be called a 
criminal, while others, who he claimed were 
engaged in the same business as himself, should 
be treated like gentlemen. He was “ selling on 
the sly but if he could afford it he would have a 

big place and a painted sign. He’d not be 
stayin’ for choice in a back room with only a 
passage for his store. Wouldn’t he like things 
foin and convanient } Sure he was the bye that 
would. And what would Kathleen an’ the chil- 
ders do without him 

Finding that his angry appeals and denuncia- 
tions effected nothing, he was convulsed with fear. 
A prison seemed to him more dreadful than a 
tomb. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and his 
lamentations were most piteous. Even when 
brought into court it was impossible to silence 
him. He told his story over and over until 
something like pity moved the heart of a man 


Poor PaL 


217 


whose clemency was usually purchased with 
heavy bribes. 

“ Might have sent the poor fellow up for a term, 
but what would be gained by it ?” he said, as he 
half apologized for letting such an offender go 
free. “ No money to be got out of him ; and if 
there was, the city would be obliged to more than 
pay it back to his family. We’ve got enough like 
him locked up.” 

‘‘ But the dignity of the law must be main- 
tained, judge. You know that,” responded one 
of the bystanders, whose face betrayed his drin ic- 
ing habits, and who was able to pay the price of 
self-indulgence. 

Pat McQuade went home, too happy at having 
escaped from the clutches of the officer to be 
anxious as to the future, and firmly resolved to 
“ lave whuskey alone, either for sellin’ or drink- 
in’.” Yet he was no less indignant than before his 
acquittal ; and late that evening gave vent to his 
anger by shaking his fist at the big corner store, 
and mentally anathematizing the man whose 
name he had often read -upon the conspicuous 
sign. His mutterings were more emphatic than 


2i 8. All for Money. 

polite ; but bad they been overheard by Mr. For- 
syth I am quite certain that gentleman would 
have endorsed poor Pat’s conclusions as to the 
fitness of things. 

“ It’s all the money makes the differ. If ye’ve 
got it ye’re all right, and if ye haint got it ye’re 
all wrong. I’m thinkin’ that’s the way in Amer- 
iky, same as the ould counthry and with this 
consolatory thought he turned away. 

“ With money, all right ; without money, all 
wrong.” 

Strange that there should have been any bond 
of sympathy between two so utterly unlike, but 
Hermon Wyatt was thinking the same thing that 
evening ; and it was this thought which helped 
him to stifle the good impulses awakened by the 
remonstrances of his friend. 

It was easier to do this now than at any previ- 
ous time. He was quoted as the best man in the 
trade, upright and honorable ; so that he was 
universally trusted. Landers was a model in his 
way, but Landers’ successor would have acquitted 
himself well under any circumstances. His em- 
ployees wondered at his watchfulness and care ; 


Poor Pat, 


2ig 

fearing to offend him and yet sure of just appre- 
ciation. He was always on the alert. He had 
not only learned ‘‘the secrets of the trade,” as 
this term is generally understood, but had ac- 
quired such a general knowledge of the business as 
enabled him to take full advantage of the market. 

He was no longer an absolutely poor man. In 
a year he might safely count upon being able to 
marry and support a wife in good style. At 
this point he assured himself that he was pros- 
perous and happy. Mr. Harvey congratulated 
him warmly, and when the heat of summer sent 
many from the city, he was welcomed to the 
country home of his partner. 

“ Glad to see you. Cousin Wyatt ; very glad to 
see you,” was the cordial greeting he received 
from his host. 

“ Indeed we are very glad to see you,” said 
Mrs. Harvey, beaming upon him with her most 
gracious smile. “ Now, Milly and I shall have 
the delightful drives we have been anticipating. 
Don’t fear, though, that I shall play the part of 
Madame de trop. I am too proud and too kind 
for that,” she added, laughingly. 


2J20 


All for Money, 


At that moment Milly entered the room, 
dressed simply and becomingly ; meeting the 
visitor with a frank expression of pleasure which 
might or might not be mere conventional civil- 
ity. 

'‘Well, Cousin Wyatt, you are getting to be 
a prosperous man,” remarked Mr. Harvey, when 
the two gentlemen found an opportunity to talk 
of business. 

“ Yes, thanks to you, I am,” was the reply. 

“No thanks. You have benefitted me as 
much as I you, and perhaps more. I am satisfied 
with the returns from my investment, and I hope 
you are satisfied too.” 

“ I am perfectly satisfied.” The tone in which 
this answer was given was too hearty to allow a 
doubt of its sincerity. 

“ I am very glad. I thought you would be 
satisfied if I could only induce you to try the 
experiment. I had faith to believe that your 
scruples would vanish at the touch of gold.” 

“ Don’t speak of them. Cousin Harvey. They 
are nothing to the purpose now.” 

“ Nothing at all. Beg your pardon. You are 


Poor Pat, 


221 


a grand business man — I hear that on every hand. 
Now I want you to enjoy a month’s recreation, and 
make the most of your opportunities for pleasure. 
One horse will always be at your service, and 
you’ll not care for two unless you have two ladies 
as companions. Milly will enjoy driving with 
you. I sometimes think it is rather dull for her 
here, although she is a favorite with the young 
people of the village. She has received two 
advantageous offers of marriage and declined 
both. We are in no hurry to be rid of her, but 
when the right man comes I suppose she will 
leave us. It is the way with girls.” 

Mr. Harvey did not look at his companion 
while speaking of Milly Legrew, and in the next 
breath he was asking a question wholly discon- 
nected wdth pleasure or Milly. Notwithstanding 
the frequent letters exchanged between the 
partners, there were many details of business 
which could be better discussed in person than 
upon paper. 

“ If the prohibitionists should succeed in carry- 
ing the next election it would be a severe blow 
to us. Cousin Wyatt.” 


222 


All for Money, 


Indeed it would, but there’s no danger of 
their doing it. We are too well organized, and 
have too large a fund to draw upon for necessary- 
expenses to leave a possibility of that. The 
machinery to secure a legislature pledged to our 
interests is already in good running order. We 
can count sure upon another year.” 

“ Well, I shall allow you to know whereof 
you speak,” responded the elder cousin com- 
placently. “ I hope you are a true prophet.” 

“ I know I am. We don’t make so many public 
speeches as our opponents, but we do more 
effective work. It will take several years for them 
to bring public opinion to their standard, unless 
they spend money more freely than they have 
yet. Human nature is on our side, and we shall 
have plenty of time to make our fortunes before 
money will fail to buy a license in our State. Our 
party have the reins in their hands, and it will be 
hard work to change drivers. There are some 
good people who can be made to believe that 
license is the handmaid of temperance. .We’re 
sure of them any way. We can buy thousands of 
votes outright. There are other people who can 


Poor PaL 


223 


be bribed with office and then made to do as they 
are told. I am beginning to think — ” 

Here Hermon Wyatt paused. He remembered 
that his host knew the price for which he had sold 
himself ; and but for the tact of this same host 
there would have been an awkward silence. 

“ I see that you can be trusted with the entire 
management of the interests of the firm, Cousin 
Wyatt. You are the right m^n in the right place, 
and I am glad you are appreciated.” 

“ Thank you, but just now I care more for pe- 
cuniary success than such appreciation,” was the 
reply. “As for being in the right place, I leave 
others to judge of that. Do you care to examine 
these papers this evening 

“I think not. I ought not to keep you here 
longer. The ladies are waiting for you, and 
Milly will give us some music. You are fond of 
music.” 

“So fond of it that I sometimes stop in the 
street to listen to a hand-organ. There are two 
boys who play before the store nearly every day. 
One has i tambourine, and the other an organ. 
Handsome little fellows, too, and when I have 


22/}. All for Money. 

time, I go out and^ speak to them and give them 
a few pennies.” 

That is all well, Cousin Wyatt, but it seems 
to me it would be better to give them work. 
That kind of street-life isn’t calculated to make 
them the men they ought to be.” 

The merchant had often thought the same, but 
he knew that his store was even a worse place 
for them than the street. His heart was touched 
whenever he saw them. On a few occasions they 
had sung to him, and if for any reason they failed 
to appear as usual, he was troubled. 

He forgot them, however, when Milly Legrew 
touched the keys of the piano, and he stood 
watching her jewelled fingers, from whose tips the 
witching sounds seemed dropping like a shower 
of pearls. 

“You will have one appreciative listener while 
Cousin Wyatt remains,” remarked her uncle, as 
she rose from the instrument. “ There will be no 
danger of your getting out of practice.” 

“I hope not,” she answered, blushing. Then 
turning to Mr. Wyatt, she added : “ Uncle some- 
times goes to sleep while I am playing. Auntie 


Poor Pat, 


225 

thinks I have a great deal of patience with 
him.” 

“ Oh, yes, Milly, you are a model of patience. 

I can bear testimony ’to that as well as your 
pupils. Cousin Wyatt, perhaps you didn’t know 
that Miss Legrew is a popular music teacher.” 

“ I didn’t know it,” answered the gentleman. 

I can hardly believe it myself, but it is even 
so,” responded Mr. Harvey. “At first she in- 
sisted upon giving lessons, and now others insist 
upon it. She is having a vacation just now, but 
I suppose she will resume her labors by and by.” 

“ Certainly I shall, uncle. I enjoy teaching.” 

“You mean that you enjoy polishing the dia- 
monds Miss Perry has cut ready for you. Milly 
only puts the finishing touches to work another 
has nearly done.” 

“Yes, sir, but if it was necessary I could cut 
diamonds for myself.” 

“ I don’t doubt it, but I should be very sorry ^ 
to have you obliged to do it.” 

Mr. Harvey had well described the position of 
his niece as a music teacher. Miss Perry recom- 
mended her to some pupils who were well 


226 


All for Money, 


advanced, and these pupils found her so delight- 
ful that they made every effort to please her ; 
while tho praise and flattery she received more 
than compensated her for what she had lost in 
withdrawing from city gayeties. 

Now that Hermon Wyatt was to be domesti- 
cated under the same roof with herself during a 
long summer month, she had no regrets for the 
past. She hummed a love song softly as she 
unbound her hair before a mirror in which she 
saw a reflection of her own beauteous self. 
Stella Bond was more than welcome to the old 
millionaire with his ugly face and horrid manners. 
She might trail her velvets and clasp a necklace 
of diamonds about her white throat ; our queen 
of beauty did not envy her. 

The next morning the whole house seemed 
pervaded with music and gladness. Mr. Harvey 
examined the papers which had been placed in 
his hands the evening before, and the result 
proved beyond a doubt that he had made no 
mistake in regard to his partner or the business 
in which they were engaged. This confirmation 
of a previous conclusion made him a most genial 


Poor Pat, 


22y 

host, and it was he who proposed “a drive for 
the young people.” 

As this day passed, so passed others, all too 
.quickly ; each hour bringing with it some plea- 
sure ; until at length Hermon Wyatt remem- 
bered that duty called him elsewhere. Then 
was told the story which eyes had long before 
revealed, and lovers’ vows were plighted between 
two who had been brought together by what 
seemed the merest chance. 

Mrs. Legrew might feel that her daughter 
would be sacrificed to a foolish sentiment in mar- 
rying a man whose fortune was yet to be made, 
but the mother had small claim to consideration 
in the matter. Mr. and Mrs. Harvey were well 
pleased, and congratulated the parties warmly. 

I would live with Hermon in a garret and 
have only a crust of bread and a cup of water for 
breakfast, dinner and supper, before I would 
marry Mr. Esterbrook and live in regal style,” 
said the young girl emphatically, when speaking 
of her prospects. 

“ You had better do it, Milly, child,” said Mr. 
Harvey. “ You had better do it, and be thankful 


228 All for Money. 

that you had the privilege of choice. Hermon 
Wyatt is an honorable man, and in ten years he 
will be a rich man.” 

Then my mother will be ready to acknowl- J 
edge him.” 

“No doubt she will, and before that too, I 
hope,” responded the gentleman. 

“ I hope so, but I don’t know. She will have 
another plan for me this winter, unless she has 
given me up entirely. Cousin Naomi says she 
thinks of me.” 

Of course she thinks of you, and if she doesn’t 
live to rejoice that you have more sense than she, 

I am no prophet.” 

The next letter written to Naomi Dodge con- 
tained the intelligence of Milly’s engagement ; 
and as was intended, the letter was read to Mrs. 
Legrew. 

“ Is the girl perfectly insane was the 
exclamation with which this news was received. 

“ How does she expect to live } Here I have 
stayed at home this season and economized to 
save money to buy her a handsome outfit for 
winter, and so give her another chance to make a 


Poor PaL 


22Q 


suitable marriage. She don’t deserve it from me, 
and now all my saving is lost. ‘ What shall I do, 
Cousin Naomi 

^‘I don’t see that there is anything you can do 
except give her your blessing. She says her 
uncle and aunt approve of her choice, and they 
know the man.” 

“ But I disapprove of what they have done for 
Milly, any way. They had no right to sustain her 
in her disobedience to me. Why didn’t I send 
for her to come home when she first went away 

‘‘You did send for her. You remember that 
you commanded her fo come home and marry 
Old Dan Esterbrook. Lucky for her she had the 
sense not to mind you.” 

“ Don’t say any more about that unless you 
wish to drive me crazy ! How did I know he 
would make a slave of his wife and abuse her, as 
people say he does 

“ You have known it. When a woman 

sells herself for so many dollars, she has no right 
to complain if her purchaser insists upon his own- 
ership. That is all Old Esterbrook does. He 
paid for his wife and his horses in the same coin, 


230 


Air for Money. 


and brings them out for exhibition whenever he 
pleases. When he don’t please, he shuts them 
up in stalls, with all the modern improvements. 
That’s the whole story. I’m thankful he couldn’t 
buy Milly. He’s at his country seat now, and if 
his wife don’t kill herself to get rid of him, it 
must be because she has too much principle to 
do it.” 

“ There is no need of her doing that. He 
can’t live many years, and when he’s gone she 
can spend money like a queen, with no one to 
dictate her.” 

“ Trust him to attend^to that. He’ll tie up 
his money so she’ll have small good of it at the 
best ; and if she offends him he’ll leave her with- 
out a dollar he can keep away from her. You 
don’t know that man as well as some others do.” 

I know enough of him,” was the impatient 
reply. “ I wish I had never seen him.” 

“You can’t wish that as his poor wife does. I 
suppose she thought money would buy happiness, 
and if it would she would be happy. Her mother 
5jays she has a weekly allowance of as much as 
she had in a year at home, and perhaps her 


Poor Pat, 


2J/ 


old husband allows her to spend it as she 
pleases.” 

“ Of course he does ; so she don’t need so much 
pity, after all.” 

“ Millicent Legrew, I wonder if you have any 
heart. Is there anything in the world so dear to 
you that you couldn’t estimate its value in dollars 
and cents 

“ Cousin Naomi, yo.u are the strangest woman, 
and you ask questions no one else would think of 
asking.” 

More’s the pity. If men and women don’t 
need to ask straight out questions I’m mistaken 
in my calculations ; anci if you don’t see the day 
when you’ll wish you’d taken time to consider and 
honestly answer some of my strange questions,- 
I’m twice mistaken. As for Milly, you ought to 
ask her to come home, and then treat her kindly. 
You ought to make some acknowledgments to 
her too. I don’t know anything about the man 
she has engaged to marry ; but I have no doubt 
he is as good as any one you would have selected 
for her, and I am glad her prospects are settled.” 



CHAPTER XII. 

A MODERATE DRINKER. 

Y readers do not need to be told that 
Herman Wyatt continued to prosecute 
his business with unflagging energy. 
There was not a man in the trade who looked 
more sharply to its interests — not one who was 
more ready to assert his right to buy and sell at 
pleasure. 

Few presumed to remonstrate with him, and 
these few soon found that remonstrance was 
vain. His brother George did not even write to 
him. Mrs. Ilsley never saw him unless she 
chanced to meet him upon the street ; and he^ 
might have forgotten Mr. Dummer entirely had 
not a box of choice fruit, with a note from Lizzie, 
assured him that his kindness was gratefully 
remembered. He avoided the old apple-woman, 



A Moderate Drutker, 


233 


except at stated intervals, when he managed to 
leave with her far more than the value of what he 
took in exchange. She did not object to this 
now, although she half accused* herself for taking 
any share of his profits. The burden of poverty 
pressed more heavily upon her with each suc- 
ceeding day, and she was forced to accept the 
charity she had once refused. 

“ Thank you, sir,” she would say, and then 
offer a silent prayer that this man might “ see the 
error of his ways, and be converted.” Always 
this one petition, repeated often in her lonely 
upper room, as she prepared the homely meal his 
bounty had provided. She could do no more. 
She had no influence save in the courts of Heaven, 
and she sometimes feared she had lost even this.- 
Her sense of isolation and want of companionship 
weighed her down with despondency which was 
well nigh despair. Pitied by and scorned by 
many, it remained to Hermon to give her sub- 
stantial aid. 

One winter day, when the cold was so intense 
that every one felt its power, this poor woman 
had neither fuel nor money with which to pur- 


2J4 Money, 

chase it. She must go out and try her fortune, 
or remain within and die ; unless in some mira- 
culous way supplies were brought to her. The 
way was never so long ; the wind never blew so 
fiercely ; and never were people in such haste as 
those who swept past her. Not a penny did she 
receive, and she was about turning homeward 
when Mr. Wyatt appeared, followed by the two 
boys of whom he had spoken to Mr. Harvey. 

“ Bitter day,” he said, abruptly. 

“ Yes, sir,” she replied, without looking up. 

“ You have a shelter somewhere.” 

“ Yes, sir. Thank God for that, but it’s all I 
have except a few pieces of furniture.” 

“ Here are two boys who havn’t as much as 
that. Turned into the street yesterday, and not 
a mouthful to eat since. Can you take them 
home with you and cook a meal of victuals for 
them ; and then let them sleep somewhere where 
they’ll have a roof over their heads ? I’ll vouch 
for their honesty.” 

“Yes, sir. I can take them with me. I’ve 
seen them before and I ain’t afraid to trust them. 
They have a hard time, but they’re good boys.” 


A Moderate Drinker, 


235 

‘‘ Yes, mother, we try to be,” responded one. 
“We hain’t come round for apples lately, because 
we didn’t have much money.” • 

“You’re half froze.” 

“ No, mother, not that. We’ve been warming 
over a grate, but we’re hungry. We’ve got 
enough to pa}'- for a loaf and a bundle of wood if 
you’ll let us go home with you.” 

“To be sure you may go. It’ll warm me to 
see. somebody there, though I hain’t a bit of 
firing. I was just going. I’m most froze, and 
nobody buys to-day.” 

That was her experience, but trade had been 
brisk in the store of Wyatt & Co., so brisk that 
the proprietor did not notice the young musi- 
cians who came again and again, hoping to see 
him and receive some assistance. At lengtl^ to 
their great joy, he spoke to them, when they told 
him their story. This reminded him of the apple- 
woman, and a plan at once suggested itself which 
he proceeded to put in execution. 

Mrs. Souther could not express a tithe of her 
gratitude as a bank bill was placed in her hands 
with the injunction to remain at home and make 


2j 6 All for Money, 

herself comfortable until the weather was less 
severe. By that time you can tell what is best 
to do,” added hei* benefactor, leaving the trio to 
care for each'other. 

The younger boy, who was called Ally, stopped 
to purchase bread and wood, yet did not lose 
sight of his companions ; and together they 
climbed the stairs leading to Mrs. Souther’s 
room. Out of this a door opened into a large 
closet, with a long, narrow window near the 
ceiling, which had been darkened by the present 
occupant. She thought of this closet the mo- 
ment Mr. Wyatt proposed that she should find a 
lodging-place for these boys ; and she took 
courage as she reflected that poor as she was she 
could confer a favor upon others poorer than 
hei;self. 

She had known Davy and Ally since they 
came to the city, two years before. They 
addressed her as mother, and this title was in 
itself full recompense for all she could do for 
them. The fire blazed and crackled in the little 
stove, as lump by lump the coal was added 
which Davy had purchased at a neighboring yard, 


A Moderate Drinker, 


237 

and presently the room was pervaded with a 
grateful warmth. 

“There’s tea and sugar, mother,” said the elder 
boy. “ I thought you’d want tea, and when we 
make lots of money we’ll all have coffee and 
milk. We’ll have roast beef too. Can’t we stay 
here always, and we work and buy things for us 
all, so you needn’t sell apples and peanuts any 
more t Wouldn’t you like that, mother 

“ Yes, Davy, I’d like it more than you can 
think, but you shouldn’t be earning for me.” 

“ But we’d play you was our real mother, same 
as other boys have, and you’d make a home for 
us same as other mothers do. Ally and I’d like 
it tip-top, shouldn’t we. Ally ?” 

“ Guess we should, though I don’t know 
about a real mother. That old woman we run 
away from v/arnt our mother.” 

“No, she warnt. We’d had a better one if 
we’d had any. But no matter about her now. 
You’ll let us stay, wont you. Mother Souther 
“ It’s I that’ll be the trouble to you, boys. 
Seems as though I was most done getting money 
for myself. I thought there warnt much more 


238 


All for Money. 


for me in the world. I thought so all day, till 
Mr. Wyatt come with you.” 

“ We was discouraged, too, mother. We v/as 
turned out last night and most froze, but them 
gratings warms a fellow up. This is worlds bet- 
ter though. It’s good here.” 

“And I with my bill all whole, while you’re 
hungry and spending money for me.” 

“We’re used to the hungry, so we don’t mind over 
much, and we’ll wait till you’ve made your tea.” 

Mrs. Souther had some food in reserve, and 
this she brought forward while the tea was mak- 
ing ; and then the three .sat around the small 
table, luxuriating in their possessions. Of sup- 
per, such as was spread before them, there Avas 
enough. Folding her hands reverently, the host- 
ess thanked God for his mercies and asked that his 
blessing might rest down upon them. These 
street Arabs had in various ways been better 
taught than their fellows, but they gazed with 
wondering awe into the face of her who had 
“spoke to God.” The prayers they had heard 
were so unlike the few words uttered by one so 
near to them that they fancied there must be a 


A Moderate Drmker, 


239 


real, spiritual difference. These words, however, 
hallowed all things for them, and were a pro- 
phecy of good to come. 

This man, whom some extolled as intelligent, 
enterprising, and public spirited ; but whom 
others denounced as unprincipled, selfish, and an 
enemy to the public welfare ; might well con- 
gratulate himself upon having performed one good 
deed that winter day. He had brightened three 
lives. It was pleasant for him to remember this ; 
so pleasant that he did not lose its influence as he 
wrote to Milly Legrew ; whose letters came to 
him with an exact regularity which bore witness 
to her constancy. 

She was spending the winter with her mother ; 
her prestige somewhat dimmed by her loss of 
property, yet still a favorite. Twice she had met 
Mr. and Mrs. Esterbrook at fashionable parties ; 
the former looking uglier than ever before, and 
the latter, with a pale, wan face, which lighted up 
only with an unmistakable effort of will, and from 
which the light died out as suddenly as it had 
appeared. 

Mrs. Legrew affected not to see this ; denying 


240 


All for Money, 


indeed that there was aught to be seen ; yet in 
secret she rejoiced that it was not her daughter 
whom society commiserated as the slave of a 
tyrant. 

“Your mother never’ll own it, but she’s as glad 
as she can be of anything, that you didn’t give up 
to her last winter,” said Cousin Naomi to Milly, 
after a conversation in which Mrs. Esterbrook’s 
prospects had been thoroughly discussed. “ She’s 
the most worldly woman I ever knew, and she 
thinks money is worth more than anything else ; 
but she has some sense, for all that. She would 
have married Old Money-bags herself if he had 
asked her to, and I should have been afraid he 
would, only such men want the youngest and 
prettiest that are in the market.” 

“ That’s a dreadful way to talk. Cousin Naomi.” 

“ I know it, but not so bad as it is to act that 
way. I’m so old-fashioned that I believe in mar- 
riage between a man and woman ; not a bargain 
where each pound of flesh is sold for a stipulated 
price. I’m ashamed of women for holding them- 
selves so cheap.” 

“ There’s another strange speech.” 


A Moderate Drinker, 


241 


“ Strange or not, it’s true. I am ashamed when 
I look around and see how the world goes. I am 
out of patience, too, but it does no good. It’s of 
no use for me to find fault. Money is the God of 
this wofld, and I don’t know but it always will 
be.” 

Cousin Naomi, w'hy are you not married 
now asked Milly abruptly. 

Because the only man I ever loved married an- 
other woman was the prompt reply. “That’s 
why, and to my mind that’s enough. Now don’t 
you ever say anything more about it. There’s 
the postman. He’ll be likely to bring something 
for you, and I must go and look after dinner.” 

A letter from Hermon Wyatt. Milly knew it 
was from him without so much as looking at the 
address. It contained the best of news too. He 
was coming to the city on business, and would 
see her within forty-eight hours. Then time 
seemed to lag until she met her lover with a shy 
gladness which made ample amends for the 
haughtiness of his prospective mother-in-law. 
The latter could not accuse her daughter of want 
of taste, or find aughf to criticise in the manners 


2^2 


All for Money, 


of the gentleman ; yet she was as ungracious as 
it was possible for her to be, thus manifesting her 
disapprobation of the existing engagement. 

“ If he was worth a half million there would be 
some sense in Milly’s marrying him,” *she ex- 
claimed, when alone with her cousin, who was 
sure, sooner or later, to hear her true sentiments. 

“Of course you would think so,” was the 
somewhat impatient reply. “ For my part I’m 
glad he isn’t, and I shouldn’t be sorry if he and 
Milly had to set up housekeeping pretty much 
as our fathers and mothers did.” 

“ I should expect most anything of you, Naomi 
Dodge, but I wouldn’t believe you’d say that if 
I hadn’t heard you.” 

“ Well, I’ve said it and I mean it. If they 
were willing to make the most of as much as our 
fathers and mothers had, and not try to do what 
they couldn’t afford to, they’d be comfortable 
enough. There’s so much sham and pretension 
a body don’t know where there’s any substance. 
If a woman can’t afford to wear silk, she ought 
to be satisfied with print, and not make herself 
miserable about it either. If my home was in a 


A Moderate Drinker, 


243 


log cabin, I’d make ' it a happy home if it de- 
pended upon me.” 

Milly would have found it hard to accept such 
a home, even with Hermon Wyatt ; and fortu- 
nately, as she regarded it, there was no need of 
such a sacrifice on her part. Another summer 
would see her the bride of a prosp^ous man. 

Returning from this visit, the merchant found 
his proteges. Ally and Davy, waiting at the 
depot for an opportunity to carry some light 
luggage, and so earn a few pennies. 

“ Glad to see you,” he said heartily. “ I was 
just wishing I could dispose of my valise. Where 
are the organ and tambourine 

“ At home, sir. Mother Souther thought we 
might do better at some work. This is but the 
second day, and the folks are afraid to trust us. 
They’re afraid we’ll steal the luggage.” 

“ That’s because they don’t know you. Come 
here for a week or two, and by that time there’ll 
be somebody ready to recommend you. Then if 
you keep right along you may get something 
better to do.” 

“ Yes, sir, that’s what we thought.” 


244 Money. 

All right at home ?” 

“ Yes, sir, jolly good. Mother Souther stays 
there all the time and we have enough to eat. 
Ally thinks maybe he’ll take her stand, and sell, 
same as she used to.” 

“ He might do that, and you might give a 
concert there, some day, when people would be 
likely to. stop and hear you. You can try differ- 
ent things, and don’t be discouraged if you don’t 
make much to begin with. If you’re likely to 
go hungry, come round to me and I’ll see what 
I can do for you.” 

‘‘Yes, sir. Thank you. But you’ve paid me 
too much.” 

“It’s all right. Tell Mrs. Souther from me 
that you need to learn something about books.” 

“Yes, sir. She has us at the books every 
evening.” 

“ That is well. Do your best to learn.” 

“The next moment the merchant had entered 
his store, which no longer offended him with any 
of its appointments. He looked around com- 
placently. Mr. Crown reported favorably of 
business during his absence, and offered some 


A Moderate Drinker, 


245 

suggestions warranted by new developments ; 
adding: “We must make hay v/hile the sun 
shines. The prohibitionists are after us in earn- 
est this year, and it’ll take good engineering to 
keep out of their way. Two or three of their 
heaviest men have given liberally within a few 
days to promote their cause, and if others follow 
their example, there’ll be something done. You 
can measure a man’s interest by the money he’s 
willing to give.” 

“ That’s true. But the chances are that the 
examples wont be followed. It’s reasonably 
safe to calculate on that.” 

“ I know it is, unless that affair of Miller’s stirs 
up a permanent excitement. It’s a bad case. 
No mistake about that. To tell the truth, there 
hasn’t anything happened lately that surprised 
me as that did.” 

“ What is it } I only heard a whisper of some- 
thing that wasn’t quite right before I went away. 
I always thought Miller was a fair, honorable 
man.” 

“ So he is in business, and people supposed, of 
course, that he was kind in his family.” 


246 


All for Mousy. 


He ought to be. He has a lovely wife and 
two beautiful children. I saw them with him 
last summer, and he seemed devoted to them.” 

“ No doubt he was, and would always be, if he 
didn’t stimulate too much. That’s the trouble 
with him. I knew he bought more than usual 
lately. Everybody knows he is one of our 
customers, and you must be prepared for any 
accusation that may be brought against you. 
The one that sold liquor to him will be consider- 
ed the guilty party.” 

‘‘I am not Miller’s keeper,” said Mr. Wyatt 
in an earnest tone. “ He bought of Landers 
before I came here, and if I refused to sell to him 
he would only go to some other store for what 
he wants. That would benefit a rival dealer, but 
neither him nor his family ; and I don’t feel dis- 
posed to do it.” 

There were few men who attended more regu- 
larly to business than did Henry Miller ; and no 
one of his acquaintances had suspected him of 
the habits which his brutality made it impossible 
for his wife longer to conceal. Through the day 
he drank sparingly, and sometimes not at all ; 


A Moderate Drinker, 


2^7 

while after returning home at evening, he in- 
dulged his appetite until he was in a state of 
beastly intoxication. Such excess could not fail 
to tell upon his looks ; yet .so well guarded was 
his secret, that the change was attributed to 
any other cause rather than the true one. 

At length, screams and cries for help were 
heard by the servants ; and rushing to the room 
occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Miller, the former 
was found standing over his wife, who was 
prostrate upon the floor, with a severe wound 
caused by a heav}^ fall. Assistance was called, 
and the infuriated man secured until morning, 
by which time he had slept off his debauch and 
was his usual self again. But his wife was so 
seriously injured, fears were^ entertained that she 
might not recover, and naturally he was the 
object of marked attention. If she died, he 
would be held responsible for her death. 

Yet he was not one whit more guilty than thou- 
sands of men who never raise their hands against 
those they have sworn to protect. Such murders 
by slow torture arc common ; so common as to 
divest them of half their horror for those who 


24S All for Money, 

look on with strange apathy while the deed is 
wrought. 

In this case, the respectability of the parties, 
and the unavoidable publicity gave it an impor- 
tance not easily ignored. It remained to be seen 
whether others would take warning ; and look- 
ing below the surface, measure the length and 
breadth of a moderate drinker’s moderation. 




CHAPTER XIIL 

DECEIVED. 

RS. MILLER convaleseed slowly, en- 
deavoring to screen her husband by 
taking blame to herself : doing this 
more persistently as his health failed, and he was 
confined to the house by a disease physicians 
pronounced incurable. There was no antidote 
for the poison rioting: in his veins. 

He had put the fatal draught to his own lips. 
But others standing by had consented thereto, 
and God would not hold them guiltless. Hermon 
Wyatt paused but a moment to regard the fune- 
ral procession moving slowly past his place of 
jusiness, and then resumed his ordinary avoca- 
tions as though he had neither part nor lot in the 
matter. Some word of pity for the bereaved 
family escaped his lips. But words are cheap, 



250 


All for Money. 


and he could well afford them, as he doubled and 
trebled his profits by skillful adulteration. 

He had no time to waste on trivial events. His 
wedding-day was near at hand, and when it ar- 
rived there was given to him a bride as lovely as 
his heart could desire. If there was less of extra- 
vagant display than characterizes many bridals, 
there was infinitely more of truth and loyalty 
Whatever might be the foibles of one or the faults 
of the other, their marriage was the result of 
genuine affection. 

The wedding ceremonies took place at Mr. 
Harvey’s ; an arrangement to which Mrs. Lcgrew 
gladly acceded ; as she had closed her house and 
did not wish to re-open it until late in the au- 
tumn. She was disappointed, dissatisfied, and 
thoroughly unhappy. She complained to Cousin 
Naomi, and when away from this friend she 
complained of her. 

After stopping with her sister a few weeks, she 
went to a place of resort for pleasure seekers, 
where she hoped to find some new experience to 
distract her thoughts. The. crowd had left ; but 
among those who remained, was a gentleman who 


Deceived, 


^51 

at once sought to ingratiate himself in her favor, 
Plis dress and manners were unexceptionable, 
as befitted one of ample means. He talked of his 
houses, horses, and lands, and threw out occa- 
sional hints of European trips. His bills were 
promptly paid, and his display of money, although 
not ostentatious, was calculated to impress ob- 
servers v/ith a sense of his wealth. 

The flattery lavished upon the fair widow was 
well chosen and delicate ; and it required no 
prophet to foretell the event should his devotion 
continue. The lady had sneered at love, and it is 
doubtful if she was capable of the emotion ; yet 
it must be recorded that she listened with blush- 
ing delight to the protestations of one who— ac- 
cording to his own wgrds — would die to save her 
a moment’s annoyance. 

Had this man sought her daughter’s hand two 
years before, she would have inquired of his an- 
tecedents, and made herself certain that his seem- 
ing wealth was not a myth. But in her infatuation 
she forgot to be cautious ; and promising herself 
the pleasure of surprising her dear five hun- 
dred friends, she yielded a modestly reluctant 


^ 5 ^ 


All for Money, 


consent to an early marriage. She consulted no 
one, foolishly thinking she was thus securing the 
grateful homage of her husband, and counting 
upon future display to compensate for the privacy 
of her wedding. 

“Millicent Legrew married!” exclaimed Cou- 
sin Naomi, as the letter containing this an- 
nouncement dropped from her hands. “She was 
no more fit to be married than a baby. Ten 
chances to one if she haint thrown herself away 
on some fortune hunter. She’s acted as though 
she was possessed this last year or two. I can 
have a home with her the same as ever, and 
she’ll be glad to have me have the house open 
ready for them when they return from their 
bridal trip ! She’ll find I shan’t do any such 
thing. She don’t need me now, and if she did I 
couldn’t do her any good. My promise is can- 
celled, and now I can look out for myself.” 

“ I hope you will,” replied a sister who had 
listened to the above expression of her feelings. 
“ I never could understand why you would stay 
there and put up with Millicent’s hateful ways. 
For my part I’m glad she’s married ; and pre- 


Deceived* 


253 


cious little do I care what becomes of her. She 
don’t deserve a good husband. Robert Legrew 
couldn’t have done worse than take her for a wife. 
You were worth a dozen of her if she did have a 
pretty, baby face.” 

“ I hope I was always worth more than she ; 
but it isn’t true that Robert couldn’t have done 
worse than to marry her. She thinks she’s got a 
rich man now, and if she has, she wont care for 
much else.” 

‘‘ And if she hasn’t ” — 

She’ll be mortified almost to death. She 
wont need any other punishment for the way she 
treated Robert and Milly. I’d write and tell her 
not to depend on me, if I knew where to direct. 
But I don’t ; so she' must make the best of it 
when she comes back. Fine housekeeping 
there’ll be, with new servants and no house- 
keeper ! I wonder v/hat Milly will say to it } 
Perhaps she’ll know more about her mother’s 
plans than I do.” 

Settled in her elegantly furnished rooms, with 
never a care save that of rendering herself 
charming to a doting husband ; the days went by 


2^^ All for Money. 

for Milly Wyatt like delightful dreams. The 
news other mother’s marriage was a rude awaken- 
ing ; and if she did not express herself as strongly 
as Cousin Naomi had done, she thought no less. 

Then came a letter from this cousin, request- 
ing her to communicate to Mrs. Norcross the 
fact that the arrangement existing between them 
for so many years was now at an end. “Mamma 
will be in despair,” thought Milly, and yet she 
did not wonder at the decision. 

“ I know no more than you where to direct to 
mamma, and I fear the worst. We must wait 
and see what transpires,” she wrote in reply. 

Mr. Wyatt endeavored to persuade his young 
wife that all would be well ; while with his larger 
personal experience and * his more intimate 
knowledge of the world, he could anticipate only 
misfortune as the result of this hasty marriage. 

Sooner than she had expected, Mrs. Norcross 
returned to the city, and was obliged to open her 
own house ; a hardship she lamented bitterly. 
But the glamour fancy threw around her husband 
had not yet vanished. He was as devoted as in 
the days of his wooing. 


Deceived, 


255 


There was, however, one drawback to her 
happiness. Mr. Norcross seemed troubled ; and 
when questioned in regard to this, he acknowl- 
edged that his funds were running low ; and that 
much as he regretted the necessity, he must ask 
her for a loan, which should be repaid at the 
earliest possible moment. 

“ And now let us say no more about it. Money 
is too gross an object to be considered between 
lovers,” he remarked, as he took from his wife a 
roll of bank bills, which truth compels me to say 
she gave to him reluctantly. 

The home coming had been at his suggestion ; 
and now, dependent as they were upon each 
other, the domestic qualities of both would be 
put to the test. He enjoyed the luxurious ap- 
pointments of the house, and made no complaints 
of muddy coffee, burned steak and heavy muffins. 
For these discomforts, at which he smiled as 
unworthy a serious thought in the midst of so 
much happiness, he solaced himself with well- 
cooked breakfasts at a restaurant later in the 
day ; while Mrs. Norcross, with no such resort, 
grew dyspeptic and complainiijg. 


All for Money, 


256 

Meanwhile, she found her expenses rapidly- 
increasing. There were more calls for money 
than she could conveniently meet. At length 
she ventured to speak of this ; and contrary to 
her fears, Mr. Norcross replied frankly that she 
had cause for dissatisfaction. He had long 
known that he ought to look after his business, 
but his reluc-tance to leave her had prevented his 
doing so. Now he would go as soon as he should 
receive a remittance from his agent, who had 
assured him by the mail of yesterday that several 
thousand dollars would be forwarded within a 
week. 

Of course this was believed, especially as the 
letter bearing post-mark and date as represented, 
was shown as proof of the statement. A sufficient 
sum was advanced to pay the gentleman’s travel- 
ling expenses to the western city where his 
property was situated, and the husband and wife 
parted with mutual expressions of love and 
devotion. 

When separated from this man, Mrs. Norcross 
reviewed the events of the last few months, and 
realized, as she had not done before, how strange- 


Deceived, 


257 

ly she had been influenced. Still she would not 
admit that she could have been deceived. Had 
not her husband assured her again and again 
that he loved her for herself alone ; and that he 
had no mercenary motive in seeking to win her 
for his wife } 

She was to hear from him the next day, and 
each succeeding day of his absence. True to his 
word, he‘ wrote, and in such fashion, that every 
misgiving on her part was dispelled. Six letters 
were received, which she read and re-read with 
the eagerness of a ‘young girl who has not yet 
learned to question the sincerity of the most 
extravagant utterances. But on the seventh day 
a communication of quite a different sort lay 
open before her. 

In it, the writer frankly confessed that he had 
never felt for her the least affection ; that he had 
found it necessary to obtain the means of support ; 
and seeing that she could be easily flattered, it 
had occurred to him that he might spend a few 
months with her not unpleasantly. Now having 
decided to try his fortune elsewhere, she would 
see no more of him. 


All for Money, 


^ 5 ^ 

He also informed her that she had no claim to 
be addressed as Mrs. Norcross ; since, were she 
his wife, he could not give her what he did not 
possess ; and his real name was not that by 
which she had known him. Moreover, he had so 
often vowed to love and cherish some charming 
woman, that it would be unwise for her longer to 
regard him as a husband. 

He thanked her for her kindness a' d gene- 
rosity ; assuring her that he had been very happy 
with her, while he trusted she had found him an 
agreeable companion. As for property, he had 
always been a poor man ; living by his wits, 
and dependent upon his friends for whatever of 
luxury he had enjoyed. 

It is no exaggeration to say that the deserted 
woman was in despair. “Mortified* to death,’’ 
and yet she did not die. She might do as she 
had done before ; shut herself in her room and 
indulge in wholesale lamentations ; but small 
comfort would this be, with no one to give her 
sympathy or assistance. 

In her extremity she sent for Mr. and Mrs. Har- 
vey, to whom she made full confession of her folly. 


Deceived. 


^59 


“I don’t know how I could have done as I 
have,” she exclaimed helplessly. “The man 
deserves to be hanged.” 

“That may be, Millicent, but the best thing 
you can do is to say nothing about him,” replied 
her brother-in-law, who was thoroughly dis- 
gusted with the whole affair. 

“ I know it. I know it,” she responded, fully 
sensiblorhat silence was her only refuge. “ But 
so much of my money is gone, how am I to 
live 

“As others live who have no more than you.” 

“ But I can’t. I’m not used to living so. I 
think Milly ought to show some interest in me. 
And there’s Cousin Naomi. Everybody forsakes 
me in my trouble. How can a man be so 
wicked !” 

What could be done with such a woman, weak, 
selfish, and heartless as she was ! She had never 
learned to rely upon herself, and this was no 
time to teach the lesson successfully. Others 
must act for her. Mr. Harvey leased her house 
to a family, who took immediate possession ; 
while she accepted his invitation to return with 


26 o 


All for Money, 


his wife and himself to their home. She would 
not be a pleasant addition to their family, but 
they felt a responsibility in regard to her which 
they could not ignore. ^ 

Here Milly visited her, endeavoring to do what 
a daughter might to comfort a mother, yet find- 
ing all efforts repulsed. Sometimes the unhappy 
woman wept for hours, refusing to speak ; while 
at other times she moaned continually, uttering 
piteous ejaculations, which would have appealed 
strongly to the sympathy of those who heard 
them, had they not listened to the same under 
far different circumstances. 

She grew thin and shadowy; disclaiming all 
interest in what was passing, around her, until it 
really seemed that she was losing her hold upon 
life. Milly was again summoned, and trusting 
still the tried friend of her childhood, she en- 
treated Cousin Naomi to come. There was a 
short struggle, and then the old duty was 
resumed. 

I’m so glad you’ll stay with me,” murmured 
Mrs. Legrew, pressing her pale face to that of her 
cousin. “ I’m so glad,” she repeated. “ I’ve 


Deceived. 


261 


been going wrong ever since you left me. Don’t 
leave me again. I’m sorry for what I’ve done, 
but I can’t help it. You know I can’t help it. I 
don’t know how I could do so. Cousin Naomi, 
I’m beginning to think money isn’t everything 
that’s worth having ; though ’twas so hard to 
get things when I was a girl at home, I thought 
I could be happy anywhere, if I only had money 
enough. Don’t blame me.” 

Blame you, child !” replied Naomi Dodge, 
with tears in her eyes. “ I’ve done a host of 
wrong things myself, and what right have I to 
blame you !” 

“ I don’t know what you’ve done wrong, Cousin 
Naomi. It seems to me you’ve always been 
good. You’ve been a great deal better to me 
than I deserved ; and now I want to ask you to 
forgive me for taking Robert away from you. , I 
knew he loved you, but he had money, and I 
wanted the money. Will you forgive me for 
that 

“ Yes, Millicent, I forgive you as I hope to be 
forgiven for all my sins. But don’t speak of it 
again. I can’t bear it. You and I, both of us, 


262 


I . 

‘'f 

All for- Money. 

need to think of something else. This world 
isn’t all there is for us.” 

“ I know it. I’ve always known it, but I 
wouldn’t think of it. Now I must, because therej 
isn’t m^uch more of this world for me. I’ve said 
a great many times, when I was crossed in my 
wishes, that I should die, but I didn’t realize 
what it means to die. Now I don’t know. What 
is it, Naomi Oh ! how can I die ! Do you think 
I must } But I don’t want to live. How could I 
have been so deceived ! You’re sure you’ve for- 
given me r 

“Yes, Millicent, I’m sure. Now try to think 
of all you have to live for,” 

“ What is it ? Do you think Milly loves me } 
She seems so strange. I didn’t know Mr. Ester- 
brook was such a bad man. I’m glad she didn’t 
marry him, but I can’t tell her so. I think I’ve 
been making mistakes all my life ; all my life, 
Naomi. But it’s too late to change. I’m a 
trouble to everybody. This isn’t the right place ’ 
for me to stay, and Milly don’t want me with 
her. If you’d only take me away with you some- 
where, Cousin Naomi, I should be so glad. I’ve 


Deceived, 


263 


enough to pay you, and I’d try to be patient and 
reasonable.” 

‘‘ We will see about moving by and by,” was 
the cheerfully spoken reply. Trust me for not 
allowing you to be a trouble to your friends. I 
am going to take care of you myself.” 

With this assurance Mrs. Legrew was some- 
what comforted, and henceforth deferred to her 
cousin’s judgment in all things. She did not 
again speak of dying, but it was evident that she 
thought of it ; while it was equally evident that 
she had by no means renounced the vanities to 
which .she had all her life done homage. 




CHAPTER XIV. 

THE wanderer’s RETURN. 

MORNING in Spring. Sunlight flooding 
the earth with its glory, and the air 
redolent of perfumes, sweet and subtle 
as the fabled odors of Araby. 

A woman was bending over a bed of hyacinths, 
and hearing a footfall, looked up to see a man, 
with figure slightly bowed and hair as white as 
snow, coming towards her. He walked slowly 
but firmly, as though in no haste, and yet having 
a definite purpose in view. 

There was something familiar in his appear- 
ance which the woman could not define. He was 
surely a stranger. She had never seen him 
before. He drew nearer, and still unmindful of 
her rudeness, she continued to gaze at him. At 
length he was beside her. 



The Wa7iderer^s Return, 265 

** Cousin Naomi, have you a welcome for the • 
wanderer ?” he asked in a husky voice. “ I know 
you are Cousin Naomi.” 

And you. You are Russell Parsons.” 

“I am. But not the same Russell Parsons 
who left his home thirty years ago. Thank God, 
I’m a different man from what I was then ; else 
you wouldn’t see me here. I’ve not come back 
to be a burden to my friends, or to disgrace 
them. I remembered my sisters, and I longed to 
see some one in whose veins flowed the same 
blood as in my own. Have you a welcome for 
me ?” 

‘Hf what you say is true, Russell Parsons, I 
have.” 

“ As God hears me, I speak the truth.” 

It was thirty years since he had gone forth 
from a home in which there was little to develop 
a noble manhood, but where he had already 
become a sorrow and disgrace. Few parting 
words were bestowed upon him. Who knew if 
he had not a heart which might yet be won to 
truth and duty ! 

Cousin Naomi was the last to bid him adieu, as 


266 


All for Money. 


she was the first to welcome him on his return. 
She had thought of him kindly. It was not 
wholly his fault that he had fallen into evil 
companionship, and learned to drain the intoxi- 
cating cup. There was some excuse for his 
reckless career ; some reason for the hardness of 
which his parents complained. 

Mr. Harvey had heard of this man, but sup- 
posed him to be dead. He met the stranger now 
with sufficient cordiality, and then called to his 
wife. Mrs. Harvey came forward ; some memory 
of the olden time giving to her manner an un- 
wonted tenderness. 

“ I never expected to see you again,” she said, 
as she stood looking up into her brother’s face, 
while he held her hands close clasped in his own. 

Millicent is here too.” 

“ I knew she was, before I came. I wished to 
see you both. I shall go before you are tired of 
me.” 

Millicent, the youngest of the family, had been 
his pet and favorite. The meeting between them 
was without a witness, but when next they were 
seen there were traces of tears upon the cheeks of 


The Wanderer s Return, 26^ 


both. Whatever there was of sincerity and hon- 
est affection in this woman’s nature was stirred 
to its depths. The brother had neither wife nor 
child. Perhaps with him she might find a way 
out of her difficulties. 

His story was told only to his cousin. His 
sisters would find little in it to interest them, 
since they could but vaguely comprehend the 
struggles of a soul fast bound by evil habits, yet 
still retaining some aspirations for a God-given 
freedom. He had been so poor he had not where 
to lay his head. He had been so wretched, that 
he longed for death, and so vile, that the veriest 
outcasts of the street shrank from him. 

But here he stood, redeemed and saved : a 
better man by far than he who watched so nar- 
rowly each movement of the stranger, lest his 
guest might prove unworthy of confidence. 
Russell Parsons had the manners Of a gentleman ; 
and so much of self-control, that he would not 
betray his consciousness of the scrutiny to which 
he was subjected. Yet when a week had passed 
he prepared to take his leave. 

I am going in the morning,” he said to Cousin 


268 All for Money, 

Naomi. I don’t blame any one for distrusting 
me. 

“Who distrusts you V' was asked in reply. 

“ Not you, and perhaps neither of my sisters. 
Mr. Harvey is right to be on his guard. When I 
have a place I can call my own, I shall come back 
for Millicent. Will you go with us V' 

“I have promised to take care of Millicent,” 
was the hesitating response. 

“ And I have promised her that she shall live 
with me. I am not a poor man. There is no 
need that I should be indebted to an}'’ one for so 
much as a piece of bread. Millicent will be 
happier with me than she can be anywhere else, 
and I owe something to my family for the trouble 
I have made them. Poor child ! She has 
brought a great sorrow upon herself. She has 
thought too much of money and show. She must 
learn to think of other things. She says you 
have always been a true friend, although she did 
you a great wrong.” 

An impatient gesture warned the speaker that 
this wrong was a forbidden subject, and he has- 
tened to apologize. 


The Wanderer s Return. 26 q 

A sense of relief was felt by both host and 
hostess when their guest had departed. They did 
not talk much of him, but they made no effort to 
conceal from each other the fact that his visit had 
been an annoyance. 

‘‘It’s not best to let Milly know anything about 
it,” remarked Mr. Harvey. “ I presume she does 
not know she has such an uncle. If he needs 
pecuniary assistance he shall have it. I can 
afford to do more for others than I have done, and 
another year, if all goes well in business, you 
shall have the new house you have wanted so 
long.” 

“ Then I shall have my heart’s desire, if I can 
decide upon the plan.” 

“ You can have it as you please, and I hope 
by that time Milly and her husband will estab- 
lish themselves in a home of their own. They 
can afford to start in good style, and we can give 
them a handsome outfit. That reminds me 4hat 
Dan Esterbrook is in the land of the living. I 
heard from him yesterday, and his wife is an 
object of pity. He hardly allows her out of his 
sight, and for weeks together she is confined to 


2^0 


All for Money, 


the house with him. If she receives any visitors, 
it must be in his presence, and he is getting so 
unbearable, that her stepfather thinks of inter- 
fering in her behalf.” 

“ Would his interference benefit her 

“ Not at all. It would only make her lot harder. 
Silence and submission are her only safeguards. 
Millysaid she was extravagantly fond of dress, and 
he insists upon her dressing in silks and satins, 
even when she sees no one but himself. She 
wears her diamonds, too, to gratify him.” 

“ How tired she must be of them ! What a 
mercy it is that Milly is not his wife !” 

“ Mercy, indeed ! She never should have been 
his wife. I could have prevented it, and I would. 
If Stella Bond was a niece of mine I would take 
her away from Dan Esterbrook and compel him 
to give her half his fortune. If the truth was 
told, I presume he has no right to it himself.” 

Pe*ople might sa)^ that Mrs. Esterbrook was 
unhappy ; that she led a slave’s life, and that 
the most forlorn beggar might well refuse to 
exchange places with her ; yet all this did not 
express one tithe of the wretched truth. 


The Wanderer s Return, 


2Y£ 


She had coveted money. She could not earn 
it. How else could she secure it than by selling 
herself.^ Now, of how little worth it seemed ! 

As they pronounced her name, men sneered, 
because she had thus degraded her womanhood ; 
but was not money their God, as it was hers } 
The sacrifice they were making might be less ; 
but was not the motive prompting to this sacri- 
fice the very same 

Long before this, Hermon Wyatt had heard 
for the second time how Milly had been tempted 
and how bravely she resisted. He did not, 
however, tell her in return for her confidence 
that he had known it all before. The time for 
this confession had not yet come. He smiled 
his approval as she congratulated herself upon 
her present good fortune, and wisely kept his 
secret. 

His business did not trouble her. She never 
gave it a serious thought. It was sufficient for 
her that her wants were all supplied, and she was 
the petted wife of a prosperous man. She looked 
forward to housekeeping, yet was quite willing 
to postpone its responsibilities. She had ample 


2T. 


All for Money. 


time for the cultivation of her musical tastes, and 
enjoyed with ever new delight the praises of 
those who listened to her brilliant playing. 

Her husband told her of his niece, whose father 
and brothers had worked to earn the price of a 
piano ; and from time to time Mrs. Wyatt sent 
this young lady rolls of music she had herself 
learned. Letters came in reply, expressing so 
much of gratitude and pleasure, that the writer 
came to be considered a friend ; and at length a 
regular correspondence was commenced between 
these two. Then photographs were exchanged, 
and the face of each became familiar to the 
other. 

“ Isn’t she handsome T' exclaimed Milly to 
her husband. “ She is just as handsome as she can 
be,” was added in girlish fashion before he could 
reply. “ When we go to housekeeping we must 
have her spend the winter with us. She says 
she can cook, and do every other kind of house- 
work. What a paragon she must be, Hermon. 
And there are so many others in the family, they 
will hardly miss one.” 

“Don’t count upon that. If you had heard 


The Wanderers Return* 


her father talk of her, you would know that no 
other child can ever take her place with him.” 

“ Of course not, but we must have her here. I 
love her already. I should, any way, she looks 
so much like you.. And my husband is the very 
handsomest man.” 

“ To you, my flatterer. You can tell Niece 
Nelly that she may consider herself engaged to 
spend the v/inter with us, and we will do our 
best to make the time pass pleasantly.” 

Mr. Wyatt would be glad to see his niece, but 
it must be confessed that he had some fears in 
regard to her. He had not forgotten her mis- 
sion for the suppression of liquor-selling, and he 
knew she was not one to change her sentiments 
without good reason for so doing. She was de- 
cided, independent, and self-reliant. 

So much could be learned from her letters. It 
was, also, easy to see that she was accustomed 
to make the most and best of all which came to 
her ; and once having decided that an object was 
worthy of accomplishment, she gave herself to it 
with all the enthusiasm which characterized her. 

She might be too pronounced in her manners 


All for Momy, 


274 

for fashionable society ; but it was impossible 
that she should be otherv/ise than brilliant and 
attractive. She might have positive opinions, 
quite opposed to the careless crowd ; but it was 
sure that she could maintain these opinions with- 
out giving offence. 

Her interest in this relative made Milly forget 
something of her grief and chagrin at her mother’s 
rhisfortune. Cousin Naomi, too, had assumed the 
burden she could not herself bear ; and now that 
she believed the worst was over, she put aside, so 
far as possible, all anxious thoughts. 

While her mother remained at Mr. Harvey’s, 
she knew nothing of the uncle v/hose acquaint- 
ance she had yet to make ; but when in the early 
summer a new home was prepared, to which 
Russell Parsons welcomed his sister and cousin ; 
a long letter was written to Mrs. Wyatt, contain- 
ing an outline of his history with an urgent invi- 
tation to visit him. 

Her astonishment was unbounded, and waiting 
only to consult her husband, she prepared for the 
journey. What to expect at its termination she 
knew not ; but what she found was a spacious 


The Wanderers Return. 


^75 


house, furnished with all needed comforts and 
elegance, and three people who seemed admi- 
rably suited to dwell together. 

“ Why, my dear mamma, what a surprise this 
is,” she exclaimed. 

“ I knew it would be,” was the reply. “ It is a 
surprise to me every hour. Your uncle, too, is so 
good ; so much better than I am. You must 
love him, Milly.” 

“ I know I shall do that, mamma. What a 
pleasant face he has, and what a sweet voice. Is 
he rich 

“ I don’t know. He says he has enough to sup- 
port us all comfortably, but there is no need of 
my being dependent upon him. I have something 
left.” 

“A great deal left, mamma. You have this 
dear, good brother, and cousin Naomi, and me, 
if you will count me as one of your posses- 
sions.” 

“ I will count you, my child. I do count you, 
and I’m thankful you didn’t yield to me Avhen I 
insisted upon your marrying Mr. Esterbrook. I 
was thinking of his money, and I didn’t know he 


2j6 


All for Money. 


was so bad. Will you forgive me for the trouble 
I made you 

“ Forgive you, mamma ! Of course I will. I 
have nothing to forgive either, if you will only 
love me a little. I knew all the time you were 
blinded by that old man’s wealth, the same as 
other people were. It’s all over now, and we’ll 
never think of it again. But, mamma, why didn’t 
I know about Uncle Russell } You never told 
me you had a brother.” 

“ I know I never did. I had almost forgotten 
it myself, and besides, he was no credit to us. 
I think father and mother were glad when they 
lost all trace of him.” 

“ Was he a drunkard 

“ Not so bad as that while he was at home, but 
he must have grown worse afterwards. Now he 
wont taste a drop of Avine, or have it in the 
house. I miss it, and it seems as though I couldn’t 
get through one day after another without it. 
But he and Naomi are agreed, and I am obliged 
to submit to them.” This last was said in the 
complaining, querulous tone to which the daugh- 
ter was so well accustomed ; and presently came 


The Wanderers Return. 


277 

the question : Didn’t you bring" some wine, 
Milly ?” 

“ Why no, mamma, I shouldn’t think of such a 
thing. Hermon don’t like to have me taste of it, 
and he never brings any to our rooms.” 

‘‘ But he sells it to everybody that will buy, 
and somebody drinks it.” 

“ I suppose so, mamma, though I never think 
about it. He manages his own business, and I 
never think of interfering. He would be aston- 
ished if I should. He wants me to enjoy myself, 
while he makes money for me to spend. That’s 
the way it is. don’t care for wine and cham- 
pagne, so it’s no self-denial for me to give them 
up.” 

Mrs. Legrew sighed, and said no more in regard 
to the stimulants she so much craved. But Milly 
did not forget it. 

‘'Mamma needs some cordial,” she said later, 
when talking with Cousin Naomi. 

“You mean wine, and such things,” was the reply. 

“ Yes, and I don’t understand why she is not 
to have them, if she chooses. I don’t know what 
right uncle has to dictate what she shall drink. 


218 


All for Money, 


She is capable of judging for herself. If she needs 
medicine, she ought to have it, of course.” 

‘‘ Of course she had, Milly. But your uncle 
knows more about such medicine than you or I 
do. He hates it. He thinks it is a sin to make it, 
or sell it, or drink it. I suppose you don’t, and 
I’m only beginning to think about it at all. But I 
know that your mother is better off without her 
cordials than she was with them. She was 
discouraged and unhappy, and glad to take any- 
thing that would make her forget her troubles, 
even for a little while. I found that out as soon 
as I went to your Uncle Harvey’s.” 

What do you mean. Cousin Naomi 

“ I mean that she drank more wine than she 
ought to, and I know now that the habit has 
been growing upon her for a long time. I didn’t 
think of it, but your Uncle Russell has opened my 
eyes to see some things I never saw before. 
Your mother’ll be well taken care of ; better 
than she could be anywhere else ; and it seems 
to me a blessed providence that sent your uncle 
back just now. This is a. pleasant place. Don’t 
it seem like home 


The Wanderers Return, 


279 

‘^Mamma’s rooms look home-like, with her 
furniture, and everything seems cozy and com- 
fortable, as Hester Downing used to say. You 
remember her ?” 

Yes, indeed. She was the most sensible of 
all your friends. IVe wondered a good many 
times how she prospered.” 

“ So have I. I mean to write to her and find 
out. What a brave girl she was, and how ashamed 
I used to feel of myself, sometimes, when I went 
to see her. I don’t think my life is worth much 
to the world. Cousin Naomi.” 

“ It’s worth a good deal to some people in the 
world, and if there’s anything of much account in 
you, you may be sure there’ll be something to 
draw it out. You don’t know what’s before you. 
It wont be likely ■ to be all smooth sailing. It’s 
shallow water, where the waves never run high.” 

“ Don’t prophesy evil. Cousin Naomi. I’m so 
happy. Only when I think of mamma, I am 
afraid it can’t always last. But I can endure any- 
thing if I can only keep my husband.” 

“ Could you bear poverty with him 

“ Yes, I know I could,” was the quick reply. 


All for Money. 


280 

‘‘ I could bear anything, so long as I was sure of 
him. I don’t think I deserve to be so happy as 
he makes me. You don’t know how good he is.” 

Here the conversation ceased, but enough had 
been said to lead Mrs. Wyatt’s thoughts in an 
unwonted direction. 

Her uncle was a mystery to her. He talked 
upon subjects of general interest, while she was 
curious to know of his own life.. He said nothing 
of his wealth ; but he must have well invested 
property, else he could not live as he did. He 
had seen much of the world. He knew the 
emptiness of mere show and pretence, and de- 
spised the sham which passes current among so 
many as real and substantial good. 

He studied the character of his niece, and 
seeing much of which she had not herself 
dreamed, hoped better things of her than she had 
yet achieved. Her husband’s business he de- 
spised ; but he knew how strong were the in- 
ducements to engage in it, when money was 
the one object to be attained. He would not 
condemn the man without a hearing. 



^ CHAPTER XV. 

A REVELATION. 

S Mrs. Legrew continued an invalid, 
Cousin Naomi occupied the position of 
both mistress and housekeeper ; and it 
was wonderful to see how the more genial quali- 
ties of her nature developed. She seemed to have 
lost the asperity and sharpness of manner which 
had sometimes concealed the real kindness of her 
heart. Mr. Parsons treated her with the utmost 
respect, and seconded every plan for his sister’s 
comfort. 

Here Milly was made to feel the influence of 
different principles from those with which she had 
been familiar. Her uncle was a religious man, 
and she had never before been domesticated in a 
family in which God was truly honored. She 
felt something like awe as she listened to the 



282 


All for Money. 


morning and evening devotions ; and at first de- 
clined to join in the singing which was a part of 
each evening's worship. 

“Where did you learn those old hymns she 
one day asked her uncle. 

“ In a mission chapel,” he replied. “ I ought 
to have learned them when I was a boy, but I 
was differently employed then. I have carried 
my hymn book with me ever since it was given 
to me by a good lady, and when Cousin Naomi 
came here I found she had one like it.” 

“ I never saw her have one when she lived with 
us.” 

“I presume not. You had plenty of other 
songs, but nothing can ever take the place of 
these dear, old hymns with me. They express 
just my feelings, and I must sing something. I 
used to play the piano a little, but I was out of 
practice a good many years, and I don’t take it 
up again easily. I have tried some of these tunes, 
but I can’t satisfy myself with them.” 

“ I will play them for you, uncle,” said Milly. 
“ I ought to have done it before.” 


A Revelation, 28 j 

Thank you. I shall be very glad to have you, 
and perhaps you will sing them too.” 

Certainly I will.” 

Naomi Dodge paused in her work to listen to 
the tv/o voices with their harmonious accompani- 
ment ; and smiled as she thought of all the hap- 
piness to be garnered in this house. Leander 
Harvey and his wife were expected, and she was 
busy in making preparations for their reception, 
that nothing might be wanting to enhance the 
pleasure of their visit. 

In his own home the gentleman had carefully 
refrained from tempting his brother-in-law to 
the use of intoxicating liquor ; feeling himself the 
superior, from the fact that he could indulge in a 
glass of wine or brandy without danger of drink- 
ing to excess. He had wondered at the ready 
confidence of Mrs. Legrew and her cousin ; and 
objected ^strongly to their trusting themselves 
with the stranger, relative though he was. Since 
then his feelings had been somewhat modified, 
although he was not yet prepared to vouch for 
the man who brought no vouchers for the truth 
*of statements which might well be doubted. He^' 


All for Money. 


28^ 

was now glad to accept the invitation which 
would give him a better opportunity to judge 
what manner of man Russell Parsons might be. 

“ I waited to see you, Mamma thought I 
must, and I am learning to be very obedient,” said 
Milly to her Uncle Harvey, soon after his ar-- 
rival. 

“ I am glad if you are learning the lesson, even 
at this late day,” was replied. “ You have been 
a spoiled child all your life. I am afraid your 
husband has never insisted upon his right to your 
obedience, as I warned him he ought to do.” 

“ What an idea !” exclaimed the young wife, 
laughing merrily. “ He wouldn’t think of such a 
thing. He spoils me more than any one else 
ever did. I wish he was here to answer for 
himself. Uncle Russell hasn’t seen him yet, and 
I am anxious they should meet. How strange 
that I never knew I had such -an uncle. I am so 
glad he has come back. He is very kind to 
mamma. She is happier with him than she could 
be with any one else.” 

“ But her health doesn’t seem to be improv- 

^ * 

mg. 


A (Revelation. 


2Ss 


‘‘No, sir. The doctor says v/e can’t expect 
that ; though she may live for years. Poor ma- 
ma ! She was never very strong. I hope she 
will be able to spend the evening with us.” 

“ I hope she will. I suppose we shall have 
some music from the grand piano.” 

“Yes, sir, and from Uncle Russell too. He 
has a remarkably fine voice, and he loves music 
as well as I do. Mamma sings a little sometimes, 
and then we have quite a concert. I wish Her- 
mon was here to enjoy it, but he thinks he can’t 
leave his business. I tell him I hope he will 
make his fortune before he is an old man, so that 
we can enjoy some leisure together.” 

“ He is in a fair way to make his fortune, and 
take good care of his little wife at the same time. 
Your husband is doing splendidly.” 

“ There — that’s my word, uncle. I think Her- 
mon is a splendid man, anyway. You’ll begin to 
laugh at me if I stay much longer, and I must 
look after Aunt Sarah. She hurried away to 
mamma’s room so quick, I have hardly seen her. 
Uncle Russell is waiting for an opportunity to 
talk with you. He is coming this way.” 


286 


All for Money, 


Mr. Parsons had not been unmindful of his 
guests, but it was necessary that he should give 
some instructions to a workman, and he had 
depended upon his niece to entertain Mr. Harvey. 
He entered the room as Milly left, and addressed 
some remark to his brother-in-law, who responded 
courteously, ’adding, “ You have a fine place here.’^ 
“I think it is,” the host replied. I consider 
myself fortunate in having found it for sale. I 
should enjoy it more if I had built it up year by 
year, but at my time of life it didn’t seem best to 
begin at the foundation stone. This suits me 
very well as it is. It commands a fine prospect, 
and we have agreeable neighbors.” 

“ This is the finest house in the neighborhood,” 
“Yes, sir, much the finest. The former owner 
was ambitious to outshine his town’s people, but 
he neglected to sit down and count the cost 
before beginning to build.” 

“That is the way with many men,” remarked 
Mr. Harvey. 

“ And women too,” said his companion. 
“They desire a certain good, and resolve to 
obtain it at any cost. Contentment with godli- 


A Revelation. 


28 j 


ness are Avhat the world most needs. Having 
these, and one friend who can be implicitly 
trusted, a man may count himself rich beyond 
the possibility of becoming poor. That is my 
belief Perhaps you think differently.” 

“ Well, I don’t know about that. Content- 
ment is a desirable quality ; and when I was a 
boy, my mother taught me that godliness was 
profitable unto all things. Since then the world 
has taught me otherwise, but I have no doubt 
that my good old mother was right.” 

“ Y our experience differs from mine. The world 
has taught me what your mother tSLUghtyou, and 
I pray God I may never forget the lesson.” 

“ But you have acquired more substantial 
riches. Brother Parsons.” 

“ Not more substantial. More tangible, per- 
haps, while they are mine, but never half so real. 
Of all a man dares call his own, material wealth 
is the most unsatisfying and fleeting.” 

“ And yet you have labored to acquire it.” 

“ That is true, but my heart was never set upon 
it as a chief good. I have been diligent in busi- 
ness, while I trust I feared the Lord. I never 


288 


All for Money, 


engaged in any avocation on which I could not 
ask God’s blessing, and I gave to others of my 
abundance. I had a strong motive urging me to 
diligence. I looked forward to coming home, 
and I wished to come so that my relatives would 
be willing to receive me. I remembered that 
money was a passport to their favor. I could 
live very humbly, and yet be happy. The hap- 
piest year of my life, I lived in one room and was 
my own housekeeper.” 

“ You must have a faculty for making yourself 
comfortable which few people possess.” 

‘‘ Comfort goes by contrast, and I was thank- 
ful for any place where I had a right to be. That 
one room was more to me than this whole house 
is now. It was there I began a new life : and 
putting the past behind me so far as I could, 
reached forward to the future. It was a small 
beginning, but the Lord blessed me.” 

With some people, this constant reference to 
God would have seemed to Mr. Harvey mere 
h5^pocritical cant ; yet here there was no mistak- 
ing the reverent sincerity of the speaker. 

“I think I can understand your feelings to a 


A Revelation, 


2Sp 

certnin extent, Brother Parsons. The first thou- 
sand dollars I managed to save was more to me 
than fifty thousand would be now. One reason 
of this, it was the promise of more to come, as 
your one room was the promise of an elegant 
mansion.” 

“Hardly like that,” said the host, in reply to 
his guest, Avho had not come nigh to the deep ex- 
perience which gave significance to this small 
beginning. ‘‘You can have little idea of what 
it promised to me. When I had paid the rent of 
my room for a month, and bought a few articles 
of second-hand furniture, I had but ten cents left 
in my pocket, and I didn’t know where I could 
get an hour’s work, except in the saloon where I 
had been employed the last six months ; and I 
would have starved rather than go there. I 
speak advisedly, too, for I know what it is to 
suffer the pains of hunger.” 

“ You have had a chequered life,” was remarked. 

“ Truly I have, and my last days will prove 
my best days. I have that within me which no 
man can take from me.” 

“ I am very glad you are so prosperous,” 


2^0 


All for Money. 


replied Mr. Harvey. “ I am very glad, too, that 
Sister Millicent can be with you. She has been 
unfortunate, and her old home seems to have lost 
all attractions for her. The gentleman now oc- 
cupying her house has offered to purchase it, 
with the furniture, if she wishes to sell. I received 
a letter from him yesterday in regard to it, and I 
presume she will do as you advise her.” 

** I am not sure that I know how to advise her. 
She is not much accustomed to business herself. 
I should trust Cousin Naomi’s judgment, and I 
think Millicent would. It will make but little 
difference with her. While she lives I shall have 
a care for her, and she will probably never have 
sufficient health to engage in fashionable gayeties 
as she has done.” 

“ I had hoped she would be better.’^ 

“ She is better than when she came here, and 
since Milly came she is more cheerful than I have 
seen her before since my return.” 

“ Milly always carries sunshine with her where- 
ever she goes. She seems like a daughter to me. 
Perhaps you know she was with us most of the 
time for a year and a half before she was married.” 


A Revelation. 


2gT 

Cousin Naoini told me.” 

“ And did she tell you the cause of the es- 
trangement between Milly and her mother?” 

“ She did, and it seems to me Millicent must 
have been insane to desire Dan Esterbrook as a 
son-in-law. If she had known as much of him 
as I did thirty years ago, she would have felt his 
very presence to be an insult.” 

“ Then you knew the villain.” 

I did, and I have reason to remember him. 
There are some wrongs for him to right before he 
dies. A worse criminal than he never cheated 
the gallows of its due. It is more than twenty- 
five years since I saw him, but I should recognize 
his ugly face anywhere. There can’t be another 
like it in the wide world.” 

“ He is immensely rich.” 

‘‘ I should expect he would be. A man as 
unscrupulous as he, with just the amount of 
shrewdness and low cunning that he possesses, 
is sure to be rich, if he can once succeed in laying 
the foundation of a fortune. If he can manage to 
get together a few thousand dollars, he will find 
plenty of opportunities for increasing the sum. 


2g2 


All for Mofiey, 


It makes no difference how he does it. His 
conscience is never in the way.” 

“ If Dan Esterbrook ever had a conscience, it 
was burned to death years ago.” j 

“ Not burned to death, but seared. Brother 
Harvey. So sure as God reigns, it will yet assert 
itself. I hear that the villain has maintained a 
position in society.” 

“ His money purchased all the position he has 
ever had. Money will do almost anything in this 
country.” 

“ The more shame to us that it will. The 
inordinate greed of gain for which our nation is 
proverbial, is one of our greatest misfortunes. 
The love of money, and the love of strong drink, 
will degrade and demoralize the finest nature.” 

‘‘ But you would not choose poverty.” 

No, Brother Harvey ; I would not. I like to 
have beautiful things about me, such as I couldn’t 
have without money to buy them ; and I want to 
help others more than I could if I was a poor 
man. But for all that, my happiness does not 
depend upon riches.” 

“ Cousin Naomi will agree with you. She is a 


A Revelation, 


293 


good calculator, and she has quite a little for- 
tune ; but she always insists that if people look 
upon life as they should, they can be comfortable 
with very little money.” 

“ She is right. But when children are brought 
up to think that only the wealthy are worthy of 
respect, you must expect them to have false 
ideas of life. If I had offered Millicent a home 
in a cottage, she would have thought herself 
abused; and I presume my niece would think it im- 
possible for her to live in a close, economical way.” 

“/should think it impossible for her to do it. 
I should never allow it. Fortunately, there is no 
danger of such a calamity. Hermon Wyatt is 
well established in a lucrative business.” 

Mr. Parsons made no answer to this last 
remark. His cousin called to him, and he has- 
tened to join her. 

“ What I feared, has happened,” she said in a 
low tone. “ Millicent has been drinking wine, or 
brandy, and is insensible. Milly thinks her 
mother is very sick ; but it is the saine old story. 
Sarah must have brought the liquor, and there is 
more somewhere.” 


294 


All far Money. 


I will see that no more is drank. Please tell 
Sarah that I wish to see her in the library- 
alone.” 

The lady came as requested, looking- a littlei^ 
anxious, and by no means at ease in the presence 
of her brother. 

Millicent is prostrated again,” he remarked. 

‘‘ Yes, she is. I thought she was stronger.” 

“You brought her a case of liquors.” 

“ I brought nothing but what she wished me to 
bring.” 

“ I suppose not. But her wishes were not to be 
regarded in this matter. You should have con- 
sulted Cousin Naomi before giving her any 
stimulant. You have done us all an injury.” 

“I shall not consult other people to know what 
I may do for my own sister,” responded Mrs. 
Harvey haughtily. 

“ She is my sister as well as yours, Sarah, and 
she is in my house. There has been one drunkard 
in our family. It is not desirable that there 
should be another.” 

“ Russell Parsons, you forget yourself,” ex- 
claimed his sister. 


A Revelation. 




Never,” he replied emphatically. ** I never 
forget myself. I have too good reason to re- 
member. I am sorry to seem severe, or do 
anything which seems inhospitable. It will be a 
grief to me to have you feel unkindly towards me, 
but there must not be a drop of intoxicating 
liquor in this house another hour. Can you tell 
me where to look for what you brought ?” 

“ Millicent took it,” answered the woman, 
whose face had alternately flushed and paled 
while her brother was speaking. 

Is it in her room ?” 

“ I think so.” 

‘‘ And she is intoxicated.” 

“I think she drank more than she intended.” 

Then you know that she craves it. You 
knew that when your brought it.” 

I didn’t know what I know now. Brother 
Russell. But you must be mistaken,” added- the 
sister quickly ; thus seeking to retract the con- 
fession implied in her last words. 

“ I am not mistaken,” was the reply. Cousin 
Naomi cannot be mistaken. Millicent was in- 
toxicated more than once during the week I 


All for Money. 


2g6 

spent in your home. I know it sounds harsh to 
say that, but it is true, Sarah ; and I have no 
doubt from appearances that the habit has been 
indulged in for years. It has helped to under- 
mine her health, and render her irritable and 
dissatisfied.” 

“ I never thought of such a thing, and now I 
hardly believe it,” said Mrs. Harvey. Cousin 
Naomi is reliable authority in most matters, but 
she is fanatical in this.” 

‘‘You are mistaken, sister. She has thought 
very little about it. She is beginning to look at 
the drinking habits of the community in their 
true light, I trust. I have talked with her, and as 
I speak from experience, I can speak with autho- 
rity. Millicent cannot probably live many years, 
but she must not die a drunkard.” 

“ How can you speak so ! As if it were possi- 
ble for her to sink so low !” 

“ Many a woman has done it. Many a one as 
fair and delicate as she has gone dov/n to a 
drunkard’s grave. Drunkenness is not confined to 
the, men of our land. Would'God it was ! Then 
might \fe hope soon to banish it.” 



CHAPTER XVI. 

AN UNEXPECTED MEETING. 

ILLY WYATT went to her mother’s 
room, and seeing' at a glance the pros- 
tration which had so often alarmed her, 
she hastened to Cousin Naomi. 

‘‘ Why, mamma is just as she used to be some- 
times at Uncle Harvey’s,” she said, in an excited 
tone. 

“ And as she used to be in her own home, too 
was* responded questioningly. 

“Yes, only I never saw her when I couldn’t 
rouse her before. Aunt Sarah says she is asleep, 
but I am afraid — ” 

Milly did not complete the sentence, but turn- 
ing abruptly, sought the retirement of her 
chamber. Until that moment she had forgotten 
the suspicions induced by what had before been 



2pS 


All for Money. 


said to her in regard to the use of wine. All her 
life, she had been accustomed to see intoxicating 
liquors used moderately, without a thought that 
that there could be danger or wrong in so doing. 
Now she would not rest until she knew the whole 
truth. 

Composing herself as best she could, she went 
in search of some one who would tell her frankly 
what she wished to know. Her aunt was with 
her uncle in the library. Cousin Naomi was with 
her mother, and she watched for an opportunity 
to ask the question which trernbkd upon her lips. 
At length this opportunity offered. 

“ Is mamma sick, or is she under the influence of 
wine ?” The woman to whom she thus appealed 
hesitated to answer ; when she exclaimed impa- 
tiently, ‘‘You must tell me. I have a right to 
know. I am not a child to be deceived.” 

“ No, Milly, you are a woman. But you know 
less than a child of some things. If your aunt 
hadn’t given your mother wine, she would be able 
to spend the evening with you. As it is, she 
cannot. Now don’t ask me another question. If 
you do, I sha’n’t answer. When we have time 


An Unexpected Meeting. 


299 


we’ll talk it all over, but there’s no time for it 
now. Not another word. Go to your Uncle 
Harvey and entertain him. We can’t have his 
visit spoiled. Will you attend to him ?” ; 

“ Yes, I will. But poor mamma ! ■ How sad it 
is ! And I can hardly believe it, after all.’/ 

Mrs. 'Harvey came out from the interview with 
her brother looking pale and weary. She had 
been obliged to lay aside the haughty conven- 
tionalism with which she ordinarily repelled all 
unwelcome subjects, and respond unequivocally 
to plain statements and inquiries. She fulfilled 
her promise. The case of liquors was placed in 
Mr. Parsons’ hands and nothing more was seen 
of it. 

This unpleasant episode terminated, the host 
exerted himself for the entertainment of his 
guests. With music and intelligent conversation 
the evening passed pleasantly ; marked, for 
those who witnessed them for the first time, by 
the devotions which were as fitting as they were 
impressive. 

Nothing was said of the absent one. If Mr. 
Harvey suspected the cause of this absence, he 


All for Money, 


300 

was far too wise to betray the fact. When all 
others had left the parlor, Mrs. Wyatt sat down 
by a window, through which the moonlight was 
streaming, and looked out upon the beautiful 
landscape. It was like her life — fair, peaceful, 
and harmonious. The mountains, steep and rug- 
ged, were far in the distance. Would her feet 
ever climb them ? Would she ever stand upon 
their summits and view the prospect beyond ? 
Now, — and she started from the low ottoman 
on which she was sitting, as some one ap- 
proached. 

“ Uncle Russell, I owe you an apology for 
being here,”* she said in some confusion. “ The 
moonlight tempted me, and I forgot that I ought 
to be in my own room.” 

“ There is no reason why you should apologize 
to me,” was his reply. “ I wish you to consider 
yourself so much at home that you will stay in 
whatever part of the house you please. 1 knew 
you were here, and I came to talk with you. Will 
you tell me of what you were thinking 

“ I was thinking of mamma and her strange 
illness.” 


An Unexpected Meeting. joj 

I supposed you might be. You have seen 
her in the same condition before.’* 

“ Yes, sir ; several times.” 

“ And you thought it an illness produced by 
disease.” 

“ Yes, sir.” 

“ And do you know now 
I am afraid. Please, Uncle Russell, will you 
tell me the truth ? Was it the wine which made 
her as she was .?” 

“ Yes, my dear, it was. I am sorry to say it, 
but it is best that you should know. You thought 
me unkind because I forbade her the use of stim- 
ulants.” 

“ Yes, Uncle Russell, I did. I thought mam- 
ma knew best about it. But I see now that you 
were right, and I beg of you never to let her 
have another drop. Anything but that.” 

She shall never have it if it is in my power 
to prevent it. But you see that abstinence from 
it makes her restless and unhappy. That may 
seem a little thing to you. You don’t know how 
to pity her. But I do. The torment of the thirst 
for intoxicating drink is something terrible. No 


302 


All for Money. 


words can describe it. It is so unnecessary, too, 
that the suffering is aggravated by an accusing 
conscience. Don’t indulge in the habit of drink- 
ing wine, I beg of you.” 

“ I never do, Uncle Russell,” sobbed out his 
niece. “ My husband would be troubled if I did, 
and I never cared for it. But poor mamma ! I 
am so sorry. I think sometimes I ought to take 
her to live with me. I am the one to take care 
of her.” 

“ In doing that you would deprive me of a 
great pleasure. I consider her my especial 
charge. My home would be no home without 
her and Cousin Naomi. I have drifted about the 
world so long that I am thankful for anchorage. 
You know very little of this uncle of yours, Milly.” 

“Very little,” she replied, adding directly: 
“ I wish I knew more.” 

“ My story is too sad for you to hear. But I 
will tell you what wrought my ruin. False ideas 
of what constitutes respectability and happiness, 
and a love for strong drink. The first I acquired 
when I was but a child, the second before I had 
reached manhood.” 


An Unexpected Meeting, 


303 


“ Perhaps I have false ideas of respectability 
and happiness, Uncle Russell.” 

“ It wouldn’t be strange if you have, and you 
could hardl}^ be blamed for them either.” 

The clock struck twelve before Mrs. Wyatt 
went to her chamber, and and even then she 
had no inclination to sleep. The morning, how- 
ever, found her ready to do her part towards dis- 
pelling the restraint which seemed to rest .upon 
the household. Her mother did not appear at 
breakfast, and Cousin Naomi told her privately 
it would be best to defer her usual visit until 
later in the day. 

She was standing upon the piazza, from which 
could be seen an extended view of the surround- 
ing country, when she was joined by her Uncle 
Harvey. Here they conversed upon indifferent 
subjects, until a ray of sunlight illumined a dis- 
tant scene they had not before observed. 

“ What a lovely spot !” exclaimed the lady 
admiringly. 

“ Where is it asked Mr. Parsons, appearing 
at that moment. 

I was looking at the white house surrounded 


All for Money. 


30^ 

with trees on the hill side,” she replied, pointing 
to the spot thus described. 

“ That is the finest situation in town, take it 
for all in all ; and the home of a most interesting 
family. A woman owns the farm.” 

‘‘And does she manage it herself.^” 

“ Principally. She has a nephew living with 
her, but he has onl}^ been there a little more, 
than two years, and he is something of an invalid 
besides. He has a wife and daughter, so there 
is quite a family in all. I am not certain. 
Brother Harvey, but you would drive over there 
for a glimpse of Lizzie Hummer’s face, if you 
have an eye for beauty.” 

“ I always had an eye for beauty in a woman’s 
face,” was the laughing reply. 

“ Lizzie is a young girl about seventeen years 
of age, and the charm of her beauty is that she 
.seems unconscious of it. Cousin Naomi has taken 
a great fancy to her and her aunt, who has 
enough of energy to make her a kindred spirit 
to our energetic cousin.” 

“We must see’ these paragons, Milly,” said 
Mr. Harvey. “Why can’t we drive over there 


An Uitexpected Meeting, jo^ 

by ourselves, and make some errand, so that we 
shall be admitted to the house ? We might stop 
and ask for a glass of milk.” 

“ Better ask for strawberries. They have great 
quantities, which they give to their friends, or 
sell to strangers.” 

“Then we can buy some. Uncle Harvey. Do 
let us go.” 

“I should like nothing better if there is a 
horse at our disposal.” 

“One horse, or two, and the choice of car- 
riages,” replied their host. “ I can give you 
directions so you will be in no danger of missing 
the way, and we who remain at home will help 
you dispose of your strawberries when you 
return.” 

The morning was delightful. Each leaf and 
blade of glass was gemmed with drops of dew ; 
while the song of birds filled all the air, waking an 
echo in the hearts of those who listened. 

“ How glad and happy every living creature 
seems,” said Milly. 

“ And you, I hope, are happiest of all,” re- 
sponded her companion. 


3o6 


All for Motic-y. 


“I have enjoyed the drive. I left behind me 
everything unpleasant.” 

“ That is what you should do. Never allow 
yourself to be anxious or troubled. Let some 
one else do the hard thinking, and the hard 
work, while you enjoy the fruits of their la- 
bors.” 

“ I am not certain I ought to do that, uncle. • 
I am afraid I have done it too long already.” 

Never fear, child. I will answer for you. 
Don’t get lines of care in your face. If you do I 
shall be disheartened. Your husband is both 
able and willing to make a smooth path for your 
feet, and there is some one to care for your 
mother better than you could.” 

“ I know it. How kind Uncle Russell is, and 
what a dear, good man he is. It don’t seem pos- 
sible he could ever have been bad.” 

“ He doesn’t appear like it, and it is best to 
forget the past for him, as it is for many others. 
Few people in the world but have sometimes 
done what they are sorry for.” 

“There is not orte, uncle. The best are not 
perfect. But some are a great deal worse than 


An Unexpected Meeting, joy 

others ; though Uncle Russell says it’s not always 
those we call the worst who are really so.” 

“ I presume he is right. But we are moralizing, 
and that is out of order such a morning as this. 
We must begin to think of our business. The 
next house is where we are to stop, and if you 
wish to negotiate you can do so.” 

“ I should like to and presently Mrs. Wyatt 
waited at an open door for a response to the 
clang of the heavy brass knocker. 

A young girl stepped lightly through the long 
hall ; smiling as she came, and uttering the 
customary greeting in a low, musical voice. The 
visitor was in danger of’forgetting the purpose of 
her call. The half had not been told her in re- 
gard to Lizzie Dummer. She had intended to 
ask for strawberries in a business-like way, as she 
would have bargained for them at a market stall, 
but she could not do this. 

*‘My uncle, Mr. Parsons, told me it was a 
delightful drive from his house here, and when I 
had come so far, I wished to stop.” 

“ We are always happy to see Mr. Parsons, or 
his friends,” was the courteous reply. “ Please to 


All for Money. 


308 

come in, and I will call Aunt Lucy. We have 
all been in the garden this morning.” 

“ Please, will you let me go there with you } 
We were to get some strawberries, if you have 
them for us.” 

Certainly we have. Aunt Lucy wouldn’t 
refuse them to any one from Mr. Parsons.” 

Fine lady manners were out of place here, and 
it would have required a more artificial character 
than Mrs. Wyatt’s to attempt them. She fol- 
lowed her guide through the house into the gar- 
den ; which was not a small patch of ground, 
with here and there a few vegetables and strag- 
gling vines, but a garden in very deed. Here 
everything was grown at its best, while the sup- 
ply of small fruits seemed almost inexhaustible. 

‘‘This is Mr. Parson’s niece, Aunt Lucy,” said 
Lizzie, as they came near to the owner of this 
garden. 

“Mr. Parson’s niece, I am very glad to see 
you,” was the hearty and amusing welcome given 
in response. “ I am Miss Lucy Dummer.” 

“And I am Mrs. Milly Wyatt. I drove over 
with my uncle, Mr. Harvey, who is visiting at 


An Unexpected Meetmg, gog 

Uncle Russell’s. We saw your place from the 
piazza, this morning, and it looked so lovely in 
the sunlight, that we wished to come here. Then 
we were wondering what excuse we could make 
for calling, when Uncle Russell told us we might 
ask for strawberries.” 

‘^You n&edn’t have made any excuse, Mrs. 
Wyatt. We are plain people, always glad to see 
our neighbors ; and such a morning as this 
enlarges the boundaries of a neighborhood great- 
ly. I told Lizzie it was too bad to be looking 
down to the beds, when we ought to be looking 
off to the hills. But you didn’t come over alone.” 

“ No, ma’am. My uncle, Mr. Harvey, is wait- 
ing in the carriage.” 

“ He ought not to wait there. Joseph, please 
go and invite the gentleman to come here, and 
then take care of his horse. He is a friend of 
Mr. Parsons.” 

*' At this, a man whose face Mrs. Wyatt had 
not before seen, came down the path near which 
she was standing ; and as he passed, was intro- 
duced as “My nephew, Mr. Dummer.” A little 
later, Mrs. Dummer was presented to the lady, 


310 


All for Money, 


and both being interested in the berries which 
lay before them, red and luscious, they entered 
at once into conversation. 

Directly, Mr. Harvey appeared ; and then 
there was an animated flow of words, until the 
party seemed like old friends, rather than ac- 
quaintances of an hour. When the guests 
departed, they carried with them baskets of 
carefully selected fruit, for which their hostess 
refused to be paid. 

I am indebted to Mr. Parsons, and am glad 
to make him some return. I shouldn’t think of 
your giving me money,” she said, v/ith a decision 
which could not be gainsayed. 

“ Auntie, do you suppose that beautiful lady’s 
husband is the Mr. Wyatt we used to know ?” 
asked Lizzie, after they had gone. 

“Yes, deaf, I think he is. I heard her 
call him Hermon, and she lives in the same 
city.” 

“ Then she must be ; but she can’t know how 
bad it is for him to do as he does. She looks so 
good, she wouldn’t want him to do wrong, and 
he can’t help loving her so well that he’d do 


Ait Unexpected Meeting, jii 

anything to please*her. Don’t you think so too, 
auntie ?” 

I don’t know just what to think, but I feel 
sure she’s the wife of the man your father used 
to work for. They’re a handsome couple. I 
should like to sec them together.” 

Oh ! I wish he’d come here, auntie. Shouldn’t 
we be glad to see him ! It seems as though 
father might tell him about it, till he wouldn’t 
sell any more liquor.” 

“ I wish somebody could do it, or something 
happen to stop him. But it wouldn’t be easy to 
do it. It’s my opinion he acted against his con- 
science when he went into the business ; and he’s 
been grovving harder ever since. It will take 
the spirit of the Lord to move him, and th^t may 
come in answer to prayer.” 

“ Oh ! I hope it will, and I hope Mrs. Wyatt 
will come here again before she goes home. I 
heard her say she wished her husband was 
here.” 

And I asked her if she was expecting him.” 

And is she, auntie 

“ She said she had written to him to come, 


^12 All for Moftey, 

# 

but she was afraid he’d think he couldn’t leave 
his business.” 

Hermon Wyatt was longing for the presence 
of his wife, when he received her letter, and de- 
termined at once to accept the urgent invitation 
it contained. He was curious to see the uncle, 
so highly praised, and besides, he was by no 
means unwilling to spend a few days in the 
country. 

Mr. Crown was not so reliable as he had been, 
yet it seemed probable that the man might be 
trusted for a brief length of time. The truth was, 
this confidential clerk began to show the effects 
of hard drinking ; and some mistakes had oc- 
curred which his employer found it necessary to 
rectify. Recently, however, he had promised to 
be more on his guard, and this promise was 
accepted as a guaranty for the future. 

Every one was surprised to see Mr. Wyatt, but 
^his welcome was sufficiently cordial to repay 
him for some sacrifice in the way of business. 

“ Quite a family reunion,” said Mr. Harvey, 
looking around complacently. 

Next to being the possessor of wealth himself. 


An Unexpected Meeting, jij 

it pleased him that his relatives and friends 
should be prosperous ; and here there was no 
lack of prosperity with either host or guest. 
Yet he was somewhat troubled. He knew that 
Mr. Parsons would not be guilty of discourtesy ; 
but he also knew that if certain questions came 
up for discussion there would be no compromise 
of principle on the part of his brother-in-law. 

The morning after his arrival, Milly invited her 
husband to drive with her, and without telling 
him that she intended to call upon any one, 
took the road leading to Miss Dummer’s farm. 

“ Isn’t it delightful here she asked, as they 
came near to the house. 

Everything is delightful to me this morn- 
ing,” he replied gallantly and truthfully. 

And to me as well as you,” responded the 
happy wife. “We are going to stop here for a 
chat with the nicest people, and a treat of the 
finest strawberries you ever saw. was here 
with Uncle flarvey day before yesterday, and 
Miss Dummer invited me to come again. She 
said I must come once and eat strawberries with 
some of her cream. We carried them all home 


All for Money, 


3H 

before. The whole family are out in the garden, 
the same as they were then, and we can go there, 
without waiting to knock.” 

“Wouldn’t it be better to wait?” asked the 
gentleman, to whom the name of Dummer 
brought many unpleasant recollections. 

“ You can if you wish to,” was Milly’s laugh- 
ing reply. I will go alone, and tell them you 
are here.” 

“ I was thinking of you,” said Miss Dummer, as 
she advanced to meet her visitor. “We have a 
new variety of strawberries all ready for picking 
this morning. You have come at the right 
time.” 

“ And my husband came with me.” 

“ I am very glad of that. Joseph, Mr. Wyatt 
drove over here with his wife.” 

“ I will take care of his horse,” the man re- 
plied, and then walked hurriedly from the gar- 
den. 

“ Mr. WyaU !” 

“ Mr. Dummer ! Is it possible ?” 

“ It is possible, and I am very glad to see 
you.” 


An Unexpected Meeting-^ 

“ I am glad to see you. But I had no idea I 
was coming into your vicinity.” 

This is Aunt Lucy’s place.” 

‘‘And a fine place it is.” 

“Ye-s, sir. It’s been a fine place for me and 
mine. I’m not the man I was when I came 
here.” 

“ Your looks tell that. You have taken a new 
lease of life.” 

“Yes, sir, thanks to you and Aunt Lucy, I 
have.” 

“No thanks to me, Mr. Dummer. I did very 
little for you.” 

“ You did more for me than any one else, 
except my aunt. You treated me like a man 
while I worked for you, and that made me think 
that perhaps there was some manhood left in 
me, after all.” 

“ You have proved that there was a good deal, 
and I am glad to know it. You have my best 
wishes for your future.” 




CHAPTER XVII. 

CONSISTENCY. 

HERE was no visible change in Mr. 
Wyatt’s thoughts and purposes, as the 
result of the meeting with his old em- 
ployee. After his return from the country he 
applied himself to business with an energy which 
provoked the criticism of those who observed 
him. He was ready to suggest new measures 
for the maintenance and protection of the traffic 
in which he was engaged. 

The influence to which he had been subjected, 
'^and which he could not but feel, had roused in 
his breast a spirit of opposition. His pride had • 
taken alarm, and he resolved that n:\oney should 
place him in a position to command the silence, 
if not the respect of those who now condemned 



Consistency. jiy 

him. He would still pursue the avocation he 
had chosen. 

The profits of his trade were enormous. His 
ambition tended to “its fulfilment. He was 
glad, however, that Mr. Dummer had reformed, 
and he was scrupulous to hold himself, in certain 
particulars, strictly to the terms of his license. 

One day late in the autumn a brother merchant 
called upon him, and when they Avere alone to- 
gether, asked abruptly : “ Does my son patron- 
ize you V 

“ I think I have seen him here a few times,’^ 
was the reply. 

“ I thought so. I know he bought liquor in 
quantity some where, and he is fastidious about 
where he goes. I don’t know hov/ long he will 
be, but I hope he wont get so low as to be seen 
in a groggery.” 

“ I hope not. I have always considered your 
son an honorable man.” 

“ I used to consider him so myself, but I know 
him better now. It’s a terrible thing, Wyatt, to 
see one of your own flesh and blood going 
straight to perdition. My son has started, and 


All for Money. 


318 

there isn’t a sot in the city who loves liquor 
better than he does. Where he acquired such 
an appetite is more than I can tell. But it has 
almost ruined us both, and I refused long ago to 
let him have a drop from my store. I’ve come 
to ask you not to sell to him. He’s of age, and 
ought to be capable of managing his own affairs, 
but he isn’t, and I must look after him. I pro- 
mised his wife I would come here. She will 
leave him unless something can be done.” 

“ He shall never have any more liquor from 
this store, Mr. Andross. I arh glad you came 
to me, and I wish I could help you further. 
Your son is too much of a man to ruin himself 
in that way.” 

“ I know it — I know it. But what can I do V 

What could he do ? Were not other sons as 
dear to their fathers as was his son to himself.? 
Had he forgotten a note received from a lady 
only a few days before, begging him to sell no 
more liquor to her brother .? 

He lighted his cigar with this note, and smiled 
at the folly which dreamed that such a prayer 
might be granted. He was a hard man. He had 


Consistency, 


3^9 


accumulated a large property, but he was a 
beggar in every noble sentiment. His one 
vulnerable point was his love for his only son. 

He could not tell how this son had acquired a 
love for. strong drink. He had been blind to 
what was going on around him, while he was 
profoundly ignorant of the relations of cause and 
effect. He was considered a moderate drinker 
himself simply because he could imbibe so much 
without being overcome by its effects. 

It cost him an effort to ask the favor Mr. 
Wyatt had so readily granted ; and judging from 
his own conduct under somewhat similar circum- 
stances, he doubted of his success. But he did 
not doubt that the promise which had been 
made would be sacredly regarded. 

Not long after this the son called at the corner 
store, and in obedience to instructions, was shown 
into the presence of the proprietor, who said : 

“Mr. Andross, for reasons valid to me, I have 
decided to sell you no more goods.” 

“ Why not C was asked angrily. 

“I have no fault to find with you, but I must 
refuse to sell to you ; and if you will allow me, I 


^20 All for Money, 

advise you, as a friend, to give' up the use of 
liquor.” 

You’re a fine man to give such advice as that. 
About as consistent as my father, who mourns 
over the degeneracy of his only son. Probably I 
am indebted to him for your pious decision. You 
aren’t made of as good stuff as he is. If you 
were, you wouldn’t have lost a sixpence for the 
sake of gratifying a heart-broken father. He 
never interferes with other people’s business, 
unless there’s a prospect of making something by 
it. You need to take lessons of him before you 
are fully qualified for your business. Will you 
let me have the goods I came to purchase V 

“ No, Andross, I can’t do it. If my goods 
were of any other description I would.” 

“ Then what do you keep such goods for !” ex- 
claimed the young man, emphasizing his question 
with an oath. ** If you are selling poison, why 
don’t you advertise yourself as a vender of poi- 
sons ? If you are in a respectable business, why 
do you refuse custom when it is offered to you ? 
You can keep your liquors, and my father can 
keep his, but I’m not a boy to be held in leading 


Consistency^ 


321 


strings. One place is as good as another. You’d 
better shut up .shop, and earn an honest living 
by selling something besides fusil oil and log- 
wood. You see I kriow what the stuff is, as well 
as you do, but if a man proposes to burn himself 
up, he might as well do it in five years as 
fifty. Consistency is a jewel I never heard of a 
rumseller having in his possession. I would 
suggest that you attend church constantly, and 
take an active part in society matters. Good 
morning, Mr. Wyatt.” 

This last was a severe thrust. Hermon Wyatt 
was always in his pew on the Sabbath, and 
always gave liberally whenever a contribution 
was taken up. 

Recently, the pastor of the church had died, 
and a young man had been engaged to supply 
the pulpit during the next few months. For 
some reason this young preacher had quite cap- 
tivated his liquor-selling parishioner. No one 
was more anxious that he should remain, and no 
one gave him more cordial greeting whenever 
they met. 

The Sabbath following the interview I have 


322 


All for Money, 


described, the preacher announced as his text 
the injunction of St. Paul : “ Whatsoever ye do, 
do all to the glory of God.” 

Then looking around upon the congregation, 
he said : “ Not one present but believes that 
they who have publicly taken upon themselves 
the vows of God are under obligations so to live, 
that whatever they do shall glorify their Lord 
and King. 

“ My friends, the same Lord rules over all, and 
demands of all the same consecration. Has any 
voice whispered to you^ or you, or you, that an 
exception has been made in your — Not favor. 
Oh ! no, not favor. Who would stand without 
the pale of God’s government } Would you, or 
you, or you ? ■ 

“Are you engaged in any business upon 
which you cannot ask God’s blessing } Do you 
transact your business in such a way that you 
would feel it a mockery to ask God’s blessing 
upon it } If so, then, my friend, you stand con- 
demned. 

“ Have you defrauded your neighbor of his just 
dues 1 Have you taken from him his good 


Consistency, 


323 

name ? Have you put the wine cup to his lips ? 
Have you, for gain, sold to him What you know 
^ will ruin him soul and body ? Then are you liv- 
ing in open rebellion to your rightful Sovereign, 
and one day he will call you to stand before his 
throne, and listen to your sentence of condem- 
nation.” 

Beside Hermon Wyatt sat his wife, and be- 
yond her was his niece ; the Nell to whom her 
father had rendered so loving a tribute of praise. 
She had come from her western home in response 
to an invitation which could hardly be declined, 
accompanied as it was by a liberal draft to 
defray her expenses. 

The question of her going had been earnestly 
discussed by parents, brothers, and sisters, until 
it was decided that she should go ; although it 
seemed hardly possible that the different pur- 
suits and pleasures of the family could be main- 
stained without her. She might be of service to 
her uncle’s wife in coiflmencing housekeeping ; 
and with an independent resolve to render some 
equivalent for the favors she would receive, she 
bade her loved ones farewell. 


All for Money. 


324 

She had reason to expect a most cordial 
reception ; but in this her expectations were 
more than realized. The aunt who insisted that 
she was “ only Milly,” welcomed her guest with 
girlish enthusiasm ; so little had she known of 
the cares and responsibilities which so often 
transform the laughing maiden into the serious, 
half-saddened woman. Knowing nothing of 
housekeeping, she trusted to servants who had 
been recommended as fully qualified to do the 
work assigned them. 

There was no opportunity for Nelly to display 
her accomplishments as a housekeeper. Nothing 
to do but enjoy herself, and practice music as 
much as she pleased. When she remonstrated 
against such idleness, she was quickly silenced 
by arguments and appeals to which she could 
make no reply. 

Her uncle was delighted with her. He had 
never tired of the society of his wife, but it was 
very pleasant to see tw& fair young faces light 
up as he entered his home. He was glad, too, 
to make some return to his brother George for the 
kindness which had so signally failed of its purpose. 


Consistency, 


325 


He was now so identified with his business 
that he fancied he could easily put aside any 
appeal she might presume to make. He had 
even persuaded himself that his vocation was an 
honorable one. 

Were not many professing Christians pursuing 
the same openly, and were not many others 
sharing its profits, while holding themselves 
aloof from whatever odium might attach to it ? 
Were not men lauded for large benefactions of 
money gained by the sale of intoxicating liquors ? 

He had been surprised at the truth in this 
matter, and wondered at the inconsistency of 
those who, professing to live for God and human- 
ity, made the accumulation of wealth the one 
purpose of their lives. He condemned such mea 
as hypocrites, and sneered at the artifice they 
practiced. 

He believed in honest dealing with one’s self 
'as well as others. Were he a Christian, he would 
at once renounce a traffic, which was, at best, 
the outgrowth of an unnatural appetite for stim- 
ulants which madden the brain and deaden the 
conscience. Because he was not a Christian, he 


326 


All for Money. 


reasoned that he was at liberty to do what 
seemed to him good. 

This Sabbath morning, when with eyes fixed 
upon the face of the preacher, he listened to the 
remarks and questions I have quoted, he felt that 
he was personally addressed. 

There might be others in the house more 
guilty than himself, yet he was verily guilty of 
the sins enumerated. 

Ask God’s blessing upon his business ! Never I 
Ask God’s blessing upon the adulteration with 
poisons and potent acids ! Never ! It would be 
mockery. It would be blasphemy of which he 
could never be guilty. 

For a moment, he was angry at having been 
chosen as an example to point an illustration ; 
but as the sermon proceeded, his anger died out 
in a profound sense of his own ill-deserts. 

His niece was enthusiastic in her admiration of 
the entire service. In all her life she had heard 
nothing which so nearly realized her idea of the 
presentation of gospel truth. It was plain and 
simple, while grand and uncompromising. 

“ Then you think the man who makes no pre- 


Consistency. 


327 


tension to being a Christian is under as much 
obligation to live a consecrated life as his neighbor 
who is a member of the church ?” remarked Mr. 
Wyatt to Nelly, who had been speaking of the 
sermon. 

“Yes, sir, in a certain sense, I do. The ten 
commandments are binding upon both, and in 
obeying them, God is glorified. Do you believe. 
Uncle Hermon, that any person has ever lived 
who was not under the most sacred obligations 
to obey the moral law T' 

“ Of course I don’t, Nelly. I believe the Bible, 
although I don’t profess to live according to its 
doctrine. — You liked the singing,” he added, 
unwilling to pursue further the subject under 
consideration. 

“ Indeed I did. I could hardly forget it while 
the minister was preaching. The anthem was 
glorious. I never heard it before, but some of 
the strains seemed familiar to me.” 

Having said this, she went to the piano, and 
gliding her fingers over the keys, played a soft 
accompaniment to some disconnected strains 
surtg in a rich contralto voice. 


j 28 All for Money, 

“ Why, that is an improvement upon the orig- 
inal,’’ exclaimed her uncle. “ You really surprise 
me. I must invite my boys here some evening 
and treat myself to a parlor concert. I havn’t 
told you about my boys, but you shall see 
them. Milly thinks they are prodigies, and 
they think she is an angel. One of them is 
taking lessons on the piano, and the other is 
learning to play the violin.” 

“But who are they. Uncle Hermon 

“ Two poor boys, who were regular street 
Arabs when I first saAV them : one grinding an 
organ and the other beating a tambourine. 
They sang some simple songs, and depended 
for their living upon what people gave them. 
Milly, I was just telling Nelly about my boys,” 
added the gentleman as his wife came into the 
room. “We must invite them here some even- 
mg. 

“ So we must. I know you will be delighted 
with them, Nelly. And to think what they were ! 
I don’t see how any one can live as they used 
to.” 

“You don’t see how any one can live without 


Consistency, j^P 

being surrounded with luxury,” said Mr. Wyatt, 
smiling upon the speaker indulgently. 

“ No, I don’t,” she answered. “ Perhaps I 
could learn. Others have, and I suppose I could. 
Cousin Naomi says it would be a good discipline 
for me to be the wife of a poor man. I don’t 
know how it would seem, but Nelly wouldn’t 
mind it much.” 

“Not if the man was good, honorable, ener- 
getic, and — ” 

“ So much in love with you, that he would 
consider it his highest happiness to make you 
happy.” 

“ Yes, uncle, that would be an indispensable 
qualification ; and it would be equally indispen- 
sable that I should return his love in full meas- 
ure,” replied the laughing girl. 

“ Heaven send you such a husband, with plenty 
of money, to give you the home you deserve.” 

“It wouldn’t require very much money to lay 
the foundation of a home, and after the founda- 
tion is laid, I can help to build it myself. That 
is the way we western people do. Poverty is no 
disgrace with us.” 


330 


All for Money, 


“It ought not to be considered a disgrace 
anywhere, but you must acknowledge that it is a 
great inconvenience.” 

“ Sometimes it is, but then there is so much 
the more pleasure in making things do, and con- 
triving to get the most comfort out of what you 
have.” 

“ But the raw material must be provided in- 
some way.” 

“ I know it must, and that we earn by honest 
work. You see, uncle, the oldest daughter in a 
family of nine children, where there is never a 
surplus of money, needs to understand economy, 
and make that economy attractive.” 

“ And that is one of your accomplishments, is 
it, Nelly.” 

“ I have credit for it at home, but I presume 
Milly would think my plans very homely.” 

“ Nothing could be homely you would do, and 
I am beginning to think people might be much 
happier and more independent, if they cared less 
for money. I know a great many women marry 
for money, when they almost hate the men they 
accept for husbands. Uncle Russell says, too, 


Consistency. jji 

that men do what they know to be dishonorable 
and mean, just for the sake of getting rich. So I 
don’t see how they can blame the women for 
thinking so much of money. But I should rather 
live ever so plainly, and not have a new dress 
once in six nionths, than have my husband act 
dishonorably.” 




CHAPTER XVUL 

RIGHT AT LAST. 

EAR old Mother Souther was so happy 
with her boys, she seemed to have 
taken a new lease of life. The one 
room, with its adjoining closet, had been long 
ago exchanged for more comfortable apartments 
in the suburbs of the city, where air and sun- 
shine came to them as freely as to the proudest 
dwellers in the land. It reminded her of her old 
home, and gradually she gathered around her 
many of the comforts to' which she had been 
accustomed in other days. 

Davy and Ally were as thoughtful for her as 
though she was Their mother, and as they had 
assumed her name, strangers supposed them to 
be her grandsons. They were all she had in the 
wide world, and she gave them of her best. She 



Right at Last, 


333 


taught them the precepts of the Bible, and 
warned them against evil habits. She told them 
her own story, thus enforcing her precepts. 

WeVe seen lots of drinking. Mother Souther,” 
said Davy, the first time she talked with them in 
regard to it. It’s that malces folks so awful poor. 
There was a man lived in the garret, over where 
we lived with the old woman, that they said had 
a million of dollars once. You wouldn’t think it 
to see him so ragged and dirty, but it might 
have been true.” 

“ Yes, it might,” replied Mrs. Souther. 
“ There aint anything so strange about it but 
what I could believe it. It’s all dreadful, and I 
pray God you and Ally never’ll taste the cursed 
stuff.” 

“ We sha’n’t. Mother Souther. You needn’t 
be afraid of that. We did once, and it made us 
awful sick, and we most froze to death, and didn’t 
know where we was for ever so long. ’Twas 
the Avorst time we ever had.” 

“ How came you to do it .?” 

“We didn’t exactly know what we were doing. 
And then we were so bad off, we didn’t care much 


334 


All for Money. 


if we could only be warm. Twas most night 
one day, when there hadn’t anybody give us a 
cent, and we hadn’t had anything to eat, except 
some potato skins we picked out of an ash heap ; 
and a man on a back street told us if we’d help 
him clean up his store,*he’d give us some supper. 
So we went to work, and did everything he told 
us ; but when we got done, he give us some 
crackers, and told us that was all we’d get, 
except something hot to drink. We didn’t mind 
much what ’twas. We drinked it, and curled 
down on the floor, as close in one corner as we 
could get. Pretty soon we both of us felt queer, 
as though we were going to be sick, and we 
don’t remember much more till in the night. 
Then Ally come to, and told me he was freezing. 
We was on the ground, in. the dirtiest alley you 
can think of. The man we worked for threw us 
out. He didn’t care whether we lived or died. 
He kept a groggery, and of course he was wicked.” 

“ Mother Souther, aint it awful wicked to sell 
stuff that makes folks drunk asked Ally. 

“ Yes, it is one of the wickedest things a man 
can do.” 


Right at Last. 


335 


‘‘ Well, don’t Mr. Wyatt sell it 

“ Yes, he does, and it makes me feel bad every 
time I think of it. He’d be a great deal better 
man if he wouldn’t. I’m praying the Lord to 
show him how wrong.it is, and I’m going to keep 
on praying as long as I live.” 

More than two years had gone by since this 
conversation, and still Hermon Wyatt remained 
the friend of these boys, and the woman who 
made for them a home. 

He advised them in regard to study ; intro- 
duced them to an evening school ; and when 
they had made some proficiency, found situations 
for them, where they would improve, while 
earning wages which seemed to them munifi- 
cent. 

Others, too, became interested in them. A 
music teacher who had heard Davy sing, and who 
discovered how anxious he was to learn to play 
a keyed instrument, offered to give him lessons 
upon the piano. Ally managed to purchase a 
violin, and was doing his best to charm the spirit 
which lurked within. 

Their singing was a passport to favor, and 


All for Money, 


336 

after Mr. Wyatt’s marriage, they had occasionally 
spent an evening in his rooms. But during all 
the time they had known him, he had never 
invited them to enter his store. When he was 
asked by the acquaintance to whom he applied 
to furnish them with work, why he did not hire 
them himself, he said at once that he had no 
place for them. 

This was true in a broader sense than was un- 
derstood by the questioner. He \yished Davy 
and Ally Souther to grow up strong, pure, and 
brave ; and in order to do this, he knew they 
must acquire a knowledge of business away from 
the contaminating influence of intoxicating liquor. 
All this came back to him as he talked with his 
niece, and as his v/ife frankly confessed the change 
which had been wrought in her feelings. 

Little did she know of living plainly, and dress- 
ing as became a poor man’s wife ; but since her 
visit to the country, she had looked out upon the 
world with a more thoughtful gaze. She di^’ 
not speak of the sermon ; yet her husband was 
certain she had noted every point which might 
tell against him, and would at some time remind 


Right at Last, 


337 


him of them. Lest some unwelcome allusions 
might now be made, he proposed that they should 
sing, the old-fashioned hymns Milly had learned 
at her uncle’s. 

‘‘ Do you know them, Nelly T he asked, enu- 
merating several which most pleased him. 

Indeed I do,” she replied. “ I could sing 
most of them before I could talk plainly ; and 
we have sung them hundreds of times in our 
home. We sing them, too, in our evening meet- 
ings, so they are familiar to me as household 
words.” 

Do you go to church in the evening asked 
Milly. 

Not to church. We have a prayer-meeting 
Sabbath evening, and our family always go. 
Our minister depends upon us for the singing.” 

Is your minister like ours ?” 

“ Not at all. But he is a good man and does 
his best. We can’t pay such a salary as churches 
pay in the city ; and father says it is right that 
the smartest ministers should be settled in the 
largest places, where there is so much to draw 
the attention of people from religion.” 


Jj8 All for Money, 

Your father is a good, sensible man, if he is 
my brother.” 

“And my mother is as good and sensible as 
he is.” 

“ I know that, Nelly. Your father told me he 
always consulted her about everything he under- 
took, and that he would trust her judgment be- 
fore he would his own.” 

“That is the greatest compliment I ever 
knew a man td give his wife,” exclaimed Milly, 
looking earnestly at her husband. “She must 
be very different from most of the women I have 
known, and she is certainly very different from 
me. 

“Yes, very different. My mother was never 
so handsome as you are. Then she has a differ- 
ent experience from yours. You don’t know 
what a practical woman you may become. 
Uncle Hermon may consult with you the same 
as father does with mother, and then pay you 
the greatest compliment a man can pay his wife.” 

Not f(^r many a month had the merchant been 
so troubled as on this evening. All the night 
through he was painfully conscious that he had 


Right at Last. 


339 


not lost entirely his sense of responsibility for 
others. He arose unrefreshed ; complaining of a 
headache as the excuse for his haggard looks. 
He went to his store with vague apprehensions 
of impending evil ; but finding everything here 
as usual, soon smiled scornfully at his foolish 
fancies. 

His trials for the day, however, were not yet 
over. He received a call from Rev. Mr. Melvin, 
the preacher he so much admired. To say that 
he was disconcerted would but feebly describe 
the utter confusion of his thoughts as he greeted 
the unexpected visitor. His first impulse was to 
ask the reason of the visit ; and after a desultory 
conversation, ia which the clergyman bore a 
prominent part, they were about to separate, 
when Ally Souther came into the counting-room 
he had never before entered. 

“ O Mr. Wyatt, Mother Souther is dreadfully 
sick, and she wants to know will you please come 
and see her,” exelaimed the boy almost breath- 
lessly. “ We’ve had the doctor, but I’m afraid 
she’s going to die.” 

I hope not. Ally,” replied his friend, laying 


340 


All for Money, 


a hand lightly upon his head. I will go over 
and see what can be done. Mr. Melvin, this is 
one of your parishioners, Ally Souther.” 

“ I recognized him. I have seen him, with 
another larger lad every Sabbath I have preached 
here, and if I can be of any service, I should be 
glad to go with you.” 

“ Oh, I wish you would. Mother Souther will 
be so glad !” exclaimed Ally impulsively. 

The three went into the street together, and 
not long after Hermon Wyatt was standing by 
the bedside of the sick woman. 

This is my last sickness,” she said in a husky 
voice. “ I’ve lived longer than I expected to. 
I kept up for the boys’ sake, but it’s most over 
now. You’ll be the only friend they’ll have to 
depend upon then. You’ve been good to us all. 
You’ve been the best friend I’ve ever had since a 
good while before my husband died. 

“ I couldn’t do anything for you, only pray ; 
and you’ll forgive an old woman like me who’s 
on her death-bed. I’ve prayed that you might 
be a true-hearted Christian. I didn’t pray for 
you to be rich, nor great, nor honored among 


Right at Last. 


341 


men ; but I prayed that you might have a pure 
heart and clean hands in God’s sight. 

O Mr. Wyatt, if I could say something that 
would make you give up selling the cursed 
liquor ! If I only could, I’d be willing to suffer a 
great deal. How can you do, it } Don’t you 
know it’s a terrible sin against God and man, for 
which you must give account in the day of 
judgment V 

The voice was no longer husky. These, ques- 
tions, fearful as denunciations, rang out in clear, 
distinct tones ; while he tD whom they were 
addressed stood speechless, looking into the face 
of his accuser. He had been judged and pro- 
nounced guilty. 

Mr. Wyatt, don’t you know you are commit- 
ting a terrible sin 

He could not but reply. He dared no longer 
keep silence. 

“ Yes, I do know it,” he answered. 

The words were spoken. He could not recall 
them if he would. To-morrow he might wish his 
tongue had been palsied ere they were uttered ; 
but now he only knew that all disguises had 


^42 All for Money. 

been torn away, and he confronted with his own 
soul. 

“ Then why do you continue in sin } Why do 
you 1 Is it for money 

“ Yes, for money.” 

He had not intended it. He was hardly aware 
that his lips opened. Yet he had revealed the 
inner workings of his life. 

“ Then God pity you ! And my boys ! My 
boys ! What will become of them when I am 
gone } Who will care for them 

‘‘ I will care for them, Mrs. Souther.” 

And teach them to be such as you are : to 
count money as of more value than their immor- 
tal souls ! God in heaven, hear my prayer, and 
send them the friend they need. I can say no 
more to you,” she added, extending her hand to 
the man before her. “ Forgive me.” 

“ I have nothing to forgive. I am the one to 
ask forgiveness. You have only done your 
duty.” 

“ May God give you grace to do yours. There’s 
Davy’s step on the stairs, and All)'- said the 
minister came with you. I should be glad to see 


Right at Last, 

him. Maybe he’ll care a little for my boys when 
they’re left.” 

Davy came in and looked tearfully at his ben- 
efactress, while he pressed his lips to her hand. 
He knew full well that the end was near ; that 
his home would soon be broken up ; and he 
could not but weep. 

In an adjoining room sat Mr. Melvin with 
Ally, whose heart he had already won, and much 
of whose history he learned during the short 
time they were together. .When he saw her for 
the first time. Mother Souther v/as no stranger 
to him. He knew so much of her character, that 
he was assured of her Christian faith, although 
she was able to speak to him only in monosylla- 
bles. 

“ Pray,” she whispered, and four knelt rever- 
ently around her bed, while a prayer was offered, 
the fervor and pathos of which was equalled only 
by its simplicity. i 

Thank you,” murmured the dying woman. 
“ And, sir, will you have a thought for the boys, 
when they’re left alone T' 

I will.” 


344 


All for Money, 


“ God bless you for the promise.” 

“ And will you deal faithfully with this man, 
who is wronging- his own soul— for — money 
As God hears me, I will.” 




CHAPTER XIX. 

DECISION. 

OTHER SOUTHER died, and the four 
who had knelt around her bed followed 
her to her last resting-place. It was 
only the burial of a poor woman ; but no more 
sincere mourners ever looked into an open grave 
than were the boys who had called her mother. 

Being dead, she yet speaketh,” said Mr. Mel- 
vin to the man at his side, after they had left the 
carriage, and were walking arm-in-arm through 
an unfrequented street. “ I was surprised into 
making a promise I shall find it hard to redeem. 
I have prayed for you, Mr. Wyatt. What more 
can I do 

“ Whatever you feel to be your duty.” 

It is never a man’s duty to injure the cause 



346 


All for Money, 


he wishes to serve, or make an enemy of one he 
has counted a friend.” 

No reply was made to this, and directly the 
two separated ; Mr. Wyatt going to his home, 
where he found a new order of things established. 
Both of the servants had given unmistakable 
evidence of being intoxicated, and retired to their 
room. This moved Milly to make an investiga- 
tion of the kitchen, with its closets and cupboards, 
when a state of things was revealed which 
roused her to a sense of the imposition practiced 
upon her. 

“ The creatures sha’n’t stay in the house an- 
other night,” she exclaimed. “ We will go with- 
out dinner, before we will eat another mouthful 
of Bridget’s cooking. To think of her and Kate 
both being drunk ! I detest dram -drinking in 
any one.” 

And I detest both dram-drinking and dram- 
sellingl' responded Nelly. “If it is right to 
sell intoxicating liquor, it is right to drink it ; 
and to my mind the seller is worse than the 
drinker.” 

“ Hermon sells it.” 


Decision, 


347 

** I know he doe^, but it is a wicked thing to 
do for all that. It is dishonorable too.” 

“ My husband is not dishonorable,” replied 
Milly. “ He is good and honorable.” ^ 

“ But he is not doing a good and honorable 
business. I don’t wish to find fault with him, 
Milly dear, but if you would only think about it, 
you would see that he is engaged in a sinful busi- 
ness, and then I know you would influence him 
to give it up. Oh ! if you only would.” 

“ Don’t, Nelly ! Don’t talk to me so ! I /lave 
thought about it, and since I came from Uncle 
Russell’s, I’ve known we weren’t living as we 
ought to. Are you a Christian, Nelly .?” 

“ I profess to be, and I trust I am.” 

I wish Hermon and I were Christians. In- 
deed I do, Nelly.” 

A short time sufficed to rid the house of 
drunken servants ; and this done, Nelly Wyatt 
assumed the office of cook. The dinner was a 
success, but the group around the table were in 
no mood to do it justice. 

Milly inquired in regard to the home prospects 
of Davy and Ally, and this reminded her husband 


34 ^ 


All for Money. 


of what had transpired at the death-bed of Mrs. 
Souther. The boys were to remain where they 
were ; arrangements having been made with a 
neighbor to attend to their wants. 

“ I believe I have done the best I can for them,” 
said their friend. “ They are good boys, and if 
we all live, I shall see that they have a fair start 
in the world. I should like to have their busi- 
ness training entirely in my own hands ; but sit- 
uated as I am, I can do no better than leave them 
with Mr. Parkhurst.” 

“You might go into different business, Her- 
mon, and take them as clerks. Then you could 
have them all to j^ourself” 

Different business ! He had been counting the 
cost of such a change. He was disinclined to 
conversation, even with his petted wife ; but he 
could not long resist her affectionate appeals ; 
and surprised to find how entirely she sympa- 
thized with him, he told her of the impression 
produced by the sermon of the preceding Sabbath. 

“ I thought of you,” sha responded sadly. “ I 
thought it would seem to you that Mr. Melvin 
had singled you out from all the congregation.” 


Decision. 


349 


** It did seem so, but I couldn’t blame him. I 
have seen the time when I denounced the sale of 
intoxicating liquor in as severe terms as it is 
possible to use.” 

Why did you change ?” 

Do you wish me to tell you he asked. 

Yes, please do,” she answered, 

“You don’t quite know what you are asking, 
and a week ago I shouldn’t have thought of 
talking to you of my business. But my little 
wife is fast developing into a strong, noble wo- 
man.” 

“ O Hermon, do you think so 

“ Yes, darling, I do, and I am very glad. Now 
do you wish to hear my story ?” 

“Every word of k,” was the emphatic reply to 
this question. 

The story was long, and there were many in- 
terruptions ; but at length it was all told : the 
struggles with conscience ; the temptation in 
which a laughing girl had borne so large a part ; 
the final surrender ; and the subsequent endeavors 
to forget all scruples in the one desire to accu- 
mulate wealth. 


350 


All for Money, 


I knew I could never win you without money,’’ 
he said, for the second time. 

^‘Perhaps not,” she answered hesitatingly. 
“ But now that I am won, I am willing to make 
any sacrifice, if you will only never sell another 
drop of liquor, and never drink it either. You 
have drank it sometimes lately.” 

“ Yes, darling. I would mot have believed I 
should, but I have drank it oftener than you 
know, and it is time for me to give that up. I 
will do it. You have my word, and you may 
trust me.” 

“ And the selling .?” 

“ I can’t see my way clear about that, yet, but 
I will try to do what is right.” 

Another Sabbath morning,* and again the con- 
gregation assembled to hear words from the 
preacher’s lips. The love of Christ to a sinful 
world was the theme which inspired these words ; 
♦'and many an eye, all unused to weeping, grew 
dewy with unshed tears, as this wondrous love 
was portrayed. 

“For you and me the Saviour died. For you 
and me the Saviour lives. For the richest and 


DecisioUi 


35 ^ 


the poorest ; for the proudest and the lowliest ; 
for the king upon a throne, and the beggar at 
the gate, cur Saviour died, and now lives, ever- 
more to make intercession for every dweller 
upon this earth. 

“ It is for you to accept, or reject the happi- 
ness his blood has purchased. It is offered freely, 
but it is only offered. It will never be forced 
upon you. You can turn away from love and 
mercy if you will ; but, remember, my friends, 
you will do it at the cost of your soul’s salvation.” 

It was fitting that thus the appeal should close ; 
and when God’s blessing had been invoked to 
give power to the truth spoken, those who lis- 
tened felt that the Holy Spirit was in their very 
midst. 

The preacher sat down, and covered his face 
with his hand until he was left alone, when he, 
too, went out, wondering Avhitherhis steps v/ould 
' be led. He knew that Mr. Wyatt had been 
deeply moved, and he hoped that the time was 
at hand, when he might, without offence, press 
home to the conscience of this man a sense of 
un forgiven sin. 


352 


All for Money, 


Strange as it was, he was hardly surprised to 
see the merchant, with the. ladies of the family, 
present in the evening. Davy and Ally came 
with them, and Mr. Melvin could not but observe 
them closely. After the benediction was pro- 
nounced he hastened to speak to them. 

Mr. Wyatt met him with even more than usual 
cordiality ; and as they were going in the same 
direction, they walked on together, while the 
other members of the party left them far behind. 
They were talking earnestly v/hen they reached 
the house, and the clergyman was invited to 
enter. 

The pride of the host was broken down. The 
world seemed to him of small value, compared 
with the worth of an immortal soul. It was the 
first time he had ever really felt his accounta- 
bility to God, and the new emotion quite over- 
powered him. . 

Still he was not willing to make a full surren- 
der of himself, asking pardon for his sins, for 
Christ’s sake. He could not decide to give up 
all things, that he might secure the blessing of 
God. When urged to do so, he fr.ankly acknowl- 


Decision. 


353 


edged that his business held him in bondage. 
Another’s interests were involved with his own, 
and^it would be hard to extricate himself from 
the difficulties which surrounded him. ^ 

“ No one can decide for you,” said Mr. Melvin 
at a late hour that night. ‘‘The matter is 
between you and God. I can say no more. Mr. 
Wyatt, have I redeemed my promise so fully, 
that I shall be held guiltless in the day of judg- 
ment, if your soul is lost 

This question was asked solemnly, and as 
solemnly answered. 

“ Mr. Melvin, come what may to me, you will 
be guiltless.” 

A long, searching look, each into the eyes of 
the other, and they parted. 

No sooner had the hall door closed, than Milly 
went to her husband, and threw herself, sobbing, 
into his arms. She had waited so long and so 
anxiously. She would not intrude, but she could 
hardly have endured more protracted suspense. 

“ O Hermon, tell me what I shall do,” she ex- 
claimed through blinding tears. “ I have been 
doing wrong all my life, and I am so wretched.” 


354 


All for Money. 


He comforted her as best he could, and pres- 
ently her sobbings ceased. After a little, she 
raised her head from its resting-place, and in 
a tone which gave startling emphasis to her 
words, said : “ That store will drag us both 

down to perdition. Do give it up ! We can live 
without the money you make there, but we can- 
not live under a curse. Why didn’t I think of it 
before } I don’t know why I didn’t.” 

Monday morning, Hermon Wyatt was debat- 
ing how he should communicate to Mr. Harvey 
his half-formed resolution to retire from his pres- 
ent business, when he received a telegram 
announcing the death of Mrs. Legrew. She had 
died suddenly, without warning ; and everything 
else was forgotten while preparing for the unex- 
pected journey.' 

There was little to be said of the last days of 
this woman. She had lived on, sometimes cheerful 
and hopeful, sometimes sad and desponding ; 
until the angel of death called her away. Her 
life had seemed of little value, and yet she would 
be missed in her home. She was mourned by 
those who had loved her, despite her faults and 


Decision, 


355 


follies ; and who trusted that some ray of light 
from the Infinite had illumined her soul. 

Here Mr. Wyatt met his partner, and while a 
solemn awe pervaded the house, he sought an in- 
terview in which to talk of business. It seemed 
ill-timed to the elder man ; yet as he listen- 
ed, he found that the interests of another world 
were uppermost in the mind of his companion. 

It is a matter of eternal life or death with 
me,” said the latter, after a short conversation. 
‘‘When I accepted your offer, I acted against 
my strongest convictions of duty. Should I re- 
new my contract with you, I verily believe I 
should sign the death-warrant of my soul. I 
have reached a point where I must choose for 
eternity ; and thank God, I have chosen. I have 
five thousand dollars invested outside of our 
business. This amount I shall use for my pres- 
ent benefit, while I hold myself bound to give 
the interest to further the cause of temperance ; |; 
and as soon as I can consistently do so, I shall 
give the whole. Everything belonging to the 
store I shall leave in your hands, to be disposed 
of as you please. • I want no part in it.” 


All for Money. 


356 

‘‘Is this decision final ?” asked Mr. Harvey. 

“ It is final,” was the emphatic reply. “For all 
your kindness I thank you. I found the greatest 
blessing of my life in your home, and I have 
spent many happy hours there. I would serve 
you in any way my conscience could approve, 
but I will be a poor man all my life rather than 
continue in my present business a day longer 
than I am holden by our contract.” 

“ And Milly.” 

“ She is of the same mind. She was first to 
propose giving it up.” 

“ She will have some property now.” 

“ It will be hers, not mine. She can do as she 
pleases with it. I shall start in my old business 
and build up an honest trade. My wife will be 
satisfied to live in the style I can afford. I 
know she will, and I know I can make her 
happy.” 

Never had Leander Harvey thought more 
seriously than he now thought. He knew not 
how to dispose of the business thus suddenly 
thrown upon his hands. He could offer no in- 
ducement sufficient to retain the services of his 


Decision. 


357 


piesent partner; and he was far from cer- 
tain that he would do so if this were possi- 
ble. 

Mrs. Lcgrew was laid to rest by the side of 
her husband in the city cemetery ; and then Mr. 
and Mrs. Wyatt returned to their home, where 
Nelly had kept the fires burning, and given to 
Davy and Ally Souther glimpses of a life which 
seemed to them well nigh like heaven. The 
next day, with characteristic energy, the gentle- 
man leased a store, and commenced fitting it up 
for the trade in which he proposed to engage. 
He made arrangements with Mr. Parkhurst for 
the services of the boys, whose business educa- 
tion he could now safely assume, and was seldom 
seen in the old place, where, for three years, he 
had been the ruling spirit. 

Mr. Melvin congratulated him, as one man con- 
gratulates another who has passed a fearful or- 
deal, and escaped unharmed. His wife cheered 
him by her constant sympathy, and would gladly 
have placed her property at his disposal. She 
joined him in his efforts to live as God Avould 
have them ; and with Nelly, who was at once 


All for Money, 


35 ^ 

an inspiration and an assistant, made for him 
such a home as no money can purchase. 

Mr. Reeves bought the corner store, and in 
process of time, Mr. Harvey paid to his former 
partner the sum to which the latter was entitled ; 
which sum was bestowed upon various charities, 
with the prayer that it might be the means of 
accomplishing some good, to atone for the sin 
of which it was the price. 

The church received into its communion two 
who would adorn the professions they made. 
The new enterprise prospered, and the cause of 
temperance gained a zealous advocate; who knew 
whereof he affirmed. Those with whom he had 
been associated in opposing this cause yielded 
him an involuntary respect, even while they 
privately sneered at his fanaticism. 

At the close of a twelve month, when accounts 
were settled, Milly Wyatt was surprised to find 
how much of comfort had J^een secured at com- 
paratively small cost. She had learned from 
Nelly, who was still associate housekeeper, to 
make the best of what she possessed ; and counted 


Decision, 


359 

herself rich in more substantial wealth than is 
represented by dollars and cents. 

“Cousin Naomi” was now “Aunt Naomi;” 
the happy wife of a man who, in the autumn of 
his days was binding himself to life with ties the 
habits of his youth had denied him. 

Mr. and Mrs. Harvey regarded him with some- 
thing like wonder ; and yet they felt their social 
position elevated by relationship to one whose 
wealth won for him the consideration of those 
who would have refused it to his goodness and 
intelligence. 

“ Here is a notice of Dan Esterbrook’s death,” 
he said to his brother-in-law, laying down the 
paper he had been perusing, while the two were 
seated in his library. 

“ The world is rid of a black-hearted villain,” 
was the quick reply. “ How about the wrongs, 
you once told me he must right before he died 

“I intended to force a confession from him 
which would free other parties from suspicion, 
but I found nothing would be gained by it, and I 
was unwilling to meet him. The paper says he 
has left the bulk of his immense fortune in the 


All for Money, 


360 

hands of trustees for the benefit of his wife, who 
has been in an insane asylum the last three 
months.’’ 

“No wonder she is insane. I hope the im- 
mense fortune will restore her to reason. It 
ought to do some good, now he is out of the way. 
He sold his soul for money, and the final transfer 
of property has been made before this. There 
was never anything good about him, but if he 
had cared less for money, he could hardly have 
been so bad as he was.” 

“The love of money is the root of much evil. 
Brother Harvey, and the meanness men will 
practice in order to obtain it is almost past 
belief. Dan Esterbrook, at one time, sold whis- 
key by the gill, peddling it from flasks he carried 
in his pockets. He manufactured whiskey, too, 
in holes not fit for a human being to stay in, and 
from material a hungry beast would reject. First 
and last, I believe he has made more money from 
the sale of liquor than almost any other man in 
the country, and you know I consider that an 
accursed business.” 

“I know you do. Brother Parsons, and I must 


Decision, 


361 


confess that I look upon it differently from what 
I did a few years ago, although I am hardly 
ready to join the ranks of the ultra prohibitionists. 
I still believe in a well-regulated license law.” 

Brother Harvey, you know, and every intelli- 
gent man and woman knows, that v/here the 
experiment has been made, license has encour- 
aged and fostered the trade. It has protected it, 
intrenched it in the strongholds of the govern- 
ment, and given it a nominal place among 
laudable industries. I know I am talking strong- 
ly, but honestly. Don’t you believe that our 
country would be more prosperous if all intoxi- 
cating liquors were banished from the land, and 
the money now paid for them was spent for food, 
clothing, good houses, and good books 

“ Yes, Brother Parsons, I do believe we should 
be infinitely more prosperous. I’ll not stultify 
myself by denying it.” 

“ And don’t you believe that a stringent pro- 
hibitory law, as faithfully executed as other laws 
upon our statute books, would tend to this 
result ?” 

“ Yes, I think it would.” 


362 


All for Momy. 


Then, in the name, and for the sake of all that 
is good, and pure, and holy, let us give our in- 
fluence for prohibition. Let us pray for it, work 
for it, and vote for it.” 




PUBLICATIONS 

OF THB 


Rational 'temperance Society 

y^ND Publication Mouse. 


National Temperance Society, organized in 1866 for the purpose 
of supplying a sound and able Temperance literature, have already 
stereotyped and published three hundred and fifty publications of 
all sorts and sizes, from the one-page tract up to the bound volume of 500 
pages. This list comprises books, tracts, and pamphlets, containing* 
essays, stories, sermons, arguments, statistics, history, etc., upon every 
phase of the question. Special attention has been given to the department 


For Sunday-School Libraries. 

Over sixty volumes have already been issued, written by some of the best 
authors in the land. These have been carefully examined and unani- 
mously approved by the Publication Committee of the Sbciety, represent- 
ing the various religious denominations and Temperance organizations of 
the country, which consists of the following members : 


PETER CARTER, 

Rev. W. M TAYLOR, 
A. A. ROBBINS, 

REV. HALSEY MOORE 
T. A. BROUWER, 

J. N. STEARNS, 


Rev. J. B. DUNN, 

Rev. a. G. LAWSON, 
Rev. ALFRED TAYLOR, 
R. R. SINCLAIR, 

Rev. C. D. FOSS, 

JAMES BLACK, 


Rev. william HOWELL TAYLOR. 


These volumes have been cordially commended by leading clergymen 
of all denominations, and by various national and State bodies, all over 
the land. 

The following is the list, which can be procured through the regular 
Sunday-School trade, or by sending direct to the rooms of the Society : 


Rev. Dr. Willoughby and his Wine. i2mo, 458 pages. By Mrs. Mary 
Spring Walker, author of “ The Family Doctor,” etc, . . . $1 50 

This thrillingly Interestin'* ►•ook depicts in a vivid manner the terrible influence exerted by 
those who stand as the servanis of God, and who sanction the social custom of wine-drinking. 
It is fair and faithful to the truth. It is not a bitter tirade agnin.«t the ch’ircli or the ministry 
On the contrary, it plainly and earnestly acknowledges that the ministry is the friend o. morali y, 
and the great bulwark of practical virtue. 

At Lion’s Mouth. i2mo, 410 pp. By Miss Mary Dwinell Chellis, author 
of “Temperance Doctor,” “Out of the Fire,” “Aunt Dinah’s 
Pledge,” etc., $1 25 

This is one of the best books ever issued, written in a simple yet thrilling and interesh- 
Ing style. It speaks boldly for the entire suppression of the liquor traffic, depicting vividly tw 
misery and wrongs resulting from it. The Christian tone is most excellent, showing the necesi 
sity of God’s grace in the heart to overcome temptation and the power of appetite, and the 
^fluence which one zealous Christian can exert upon his companions and the community. 


The National Temperance Society s Books.* 


Aunt Dinah’s Pledg^e. i2mo, 318 
pages. By Miss Mary Dwinell 
Chellis, author of Temperance 
Doctor,” “ Out of the Fire,” 
etc., $1 25 

Aunt Dinah was an eminent Christian wo- 

man Her pledge included swearing and smok 
in», as well as drinking. It saved her boys, 
who lived useful lives, and died happy ; and 
by quiet, yet loving and persistent work, names 
oi'inany others were added who seemed almost 
beyond hope of salvation. 

The Temperance Doctor. i2mo, 370 

pages. By Miss Mary Dwinell 
Chellis, $1 25 

This is a true story, replete with interest, 
and adapted to Sunday-school and family read- 
ing In it we have graphically depicted the 
sad ravages that are caused by the use ol intox- 
icating beverages ; also, the blessings of Tem- 
perance, and what may be accomplished by one 
earnest soul for that reform. It ought to find 
yeaderr in every household. 

Out of the Fire. i2mo, 420 pages. 
By Miss Mary Dwinell Chellis, 
author of “Deacon Sim’s Pray- 
ers,” etc., $1 25 

It !9 one ol the most effective and iii^ressive 
Temperance books ever published. The evils 
o’ the drinking customs of society, and the 
blessings of sobriety and total abstinence, are 
strikingly developed in the history of various 
families in the community. 

History of a Threepenny Bit. iSmo^ 
216 pages, $0 

This is a thrilling story, beautifully illus- 
trated with five choice wood engravings. The 
story of little Peggy, the drunkard’s daughter, 
is told in such a simple yet interesting manner 
that no one can read it without realizing more 
than ever before the nature and extent of in- 
temj)erance, and sympathizing more than ever 
with the patient, sutfering victim. It should 
be in every Sunday-school library. 

A<’opted, i8mo, 236 pages, By- 
Mrs. E. J. Richmond, author of 
“ The McAllisters,” . . . $0 60 

This book is writ-ten in an easy, pleasant 
yle, seems to be true to nature, true to itself, 
and v/ithal is full of the Gospel and Temper- 
ance. 

The Red Bridge. i8mo, 321 pages. 
By Thrace Talman, . . $0 90 

We have met with few Temperance stories 
rontainin - so many evidences of decided ability 
ind high literary excellence as this. 


The Old Broryn Pitcher. i2mo, 

222 pages. By the Author of 
“ Susie”s Six Birthdays,” “The 
Flower of the Family,” etc., $1 00 

Beauti!'ully illustrated. Thir. .admirable vol- 
ume for boys and girls, containing original 
stories by some of the most g Ifted writers for 
the young, will be eagerly welcomed by the 
children. It is adapte t alike for the family 
circle and llie yabbatn-school library. 

Our Parish. i8mo, 252 pages. By 
Mrs. Emily Pearson, . . $0 75 

The manifold evils resulting from toe still ” 
to the owner’s family, as well aa to tlie famil les 
of his customers, are truthfully presented. The 
characters introduced, such a^ are found in 
Hlmost every good-sized village, are well por- 
trayed. We can unhesita ingiy commend it, 
and bespeak for it a wide circulation. 

The H.ird Master. i8mo, 278 pages 
By Mrs. J. E, McConaughy, au- 
thor of ” One Hundred Gold Dol- 
lars,” and other popular Sunday- 
School books, $0 85 

Tins interesting narrative of the temptations, 
trials, hardships, and fortunes of poor orphan 
boy illustrates in a most striking manner the 
value of right principles,? especially of 
honesty truthfulness, and Tkmp rrance. 

Echo Bank. i8mo, 269 pages. By 

Ervie, $0 80 

This is a well-written and deeply interesting 
narrative, in which is clearly shown the suffer- 
ing and sorrow that too often follow and the 
dangers that attend boys and young men at 
school and at college, who suppose they can 
easily take a glass or tvvo occasionally, with- 
out tear of ever being aught more than a mode- 
rate drinker. 

R.acliel Noble’s Experience. i8mo,' 
325 pages. By Bruce Edwards. 

$0 90 

This is a story of th rilling interest, ably and 
eloquently tob* . is an excellent book for 
Sunday-school libraries. It isjust the book for 
the borne circle, and cannot be read without 
benefiting the reader and advancing the cause 
of Tuinperame 

Gertie’s Sacrifice ; or Glimpses at 
Two Lives. i8mo, 189 pages. By 
Mrs F. D. Gage, . . . . $0 60 

A story of great interest and power, giving r 
glimpse at two lives, and showing how 
Gertie sacrificed herself as a victim of fashion, 
custom, and law* 


t 


The National Temperance Society s Books, 


Era’s Eiigagemont Rinsf. i2mo, 1S9 
pages. By Margaret E, Wil- 
MER, autlior of “The Little Girl 
in Black,” $0 90 

In this interesting voluin^-is tra<Ni4 the career 
oT the jrioderatedriii'ker, who takes a glass in 
the naaieoffriendship or courtesy. 

arish^and Tko Diver’s 
i2mo, 327 pages. 
Paujx, ... $1 

In this volume we see the ravages which 

the liquor traffic cauced M'hcn in U*fr:iuce<t in a 

<iithert>> quiet village, and ht>w a minister’s e^-es 
were at length oiiened to its evils, though lie 
had always declared wine to he n. gooii 
creature oi God,” uieant to he used in modera- 
tion. 



Packington I 
Daughter. 
Miss M. A. 


01(1 Times. lamo. By Miss M. D. 
Chellis, author of “ The Tein- 
nerance Doctor,” “ Out of the 
Fire,” “ Aunt Dinah’s Fledge.” 
“At Lion’s Mouth,” etc., . $1 '25 

It discusses the wliola subject td moderate 
jirinking in the history -ot' n, New englatul vil- 
lage. Tile incidentSj various and amusing, are 
ft]] facts, and tUechar,acU*rs nearly al*. drawn 
from real life. The five deacons wliiclt figure 
fo conspicuously actually lived and acted as re- 
presented. 

John Bentl«y’s Mistake. iSmo, 
177 pages. By Mrs. M, A. Hoi.t, 

$0 60 

It takes an Important place among our tem- 
perance books, taking an earnest, bold stand 
against the use of cider as a beverage, proving 
tliat it is often the first step toward stronger 
drinks, formingan appetite for the more fiery 
liquids which cannot easily be quenched. 


Nothing to Drink. i2mo, 400 
pages. By Mrs. J. McNair 
Wright, author of '"The Best 
Fellow in the World,” Jug-or- 
Not,” HowCould He Escape ?” 
etc., $1 60 


The story is of light-house keeper and 
thrilling adventures at sea, being tiautical, 
ecientific, and partly statistical, ■written in a 
charming, thrilling, and conviucing manner. 
It goes out of the ordinary line entirely, most 
of the characters being portraits, its scenery 
all from absolute facts, every scientific and 
fiatural-history statement a verity, the sea in- 
cidents from actual experience from marine 
lisasters for the last ten years. 


Nettie Loriiig. 12010, 352 pages. 

By Mrs. Gko. S. Downs, $l 25 

It graphically describes the doings of sev- 
eral young Indies wlio resfdved to use their 
influence on the side of temperance nnd ban'sh 
wine from their onterfainm^nls. the scorn they 
excited, and the good resul.s wnich f 'll*>wed. 


TIio Fire 
By Mrs 
thor of 

'$1 25 

An admirable story, showing hov.' a number 
of yoMug lads banded tlieiiiselves into a society 
to fightagainst Alcohol, aud the good they did 
in the Qomuiunity. 

Tho Jfwellcd Serpent. i2mo, 271 
pages. By Mrs. E, J. Richmond, 
author of*' Adopted,” ‘"The Mc- 
Allisters,” etc., $l 00 

The story i t written earnestly. Tlie cliarac- 
ters are well delineated, and taken from the 
wealtliy ainl f.isliionableportion of a 1 irge city. 
The evils whicli flow I rom fashionable drink- 
ing are well portrayed, and also the danger 
arising from tile use of intoxicants when used as 
inedicine, forming an appetite which last ;i« 
itself with a deadly hold upon its victim. 

The Hole in tlie Bag, and Other 
Stories. By Mrs. J. P. Ballard, 
author of "The Broken Rock,’^ 
Lift a Little,” etc. 121110, $1 O') 

A collectionof Well-written stories by this 
most jMJpular author on the subject of temper- 
ance, Inculcating many valuable lessons lu the 
.minds of its readers. 

The Glass Gable. i2mo,288 page.s. 
By Margaret E. Wilmer, au- 
thor of ^*The Little Giil in 
Black,” “ Eva’s Engagement 
Ring,” etc., $1 26 

The style of this book is good, the characters 
well selected, and its temperance and religious 
truths most excellent. The moral of the story 
shows those who sneer at a child’s pledge, 
comparing its stropglh to a glass cable, that it 
is inmanjc.ases strong enough to brave the 
storms and temptations of a whole lifetime. 


Fighters. i2mo, 294 pages. 
3 . J E. McConaughy, au- 
“ The Hard Master,” 


Fred’s Hard Fight. i2mo, 334 
pages. By Miss Marion How- 
ard, $1 25 

While it shows the trials T\'hich a young lad 
endured tlirough the temptations and entice- 
ments offered him by those opposed to his firm 
temperance and religious principles, and 
warns the reader against the nse of every kind 
of alcoholic stimulant, it points alsoto Jesns, 
the only true source of strength, urging all te 
accept the promises of strength and salvation 
offered to every one who will seek it. 

The Dumb Traitor. i2mo, 336 pp. 

. By Margaret K. Wilmer, zd 

Intensely interestinp, showing liow the 
prospects of a Avcll-to-do New England family 
were blighted through the introduction of a 
box of wine, given i‘i f iendshlp, used as me* 
dicine, but proving a dumb traitor in the end. 


The National Temperance Society s Books. 


Hopeiliile Tiivorn, and What it 
nrought. 121110, 252 pages. By 
J. William Van Namee, . $1 00 

It shows tbe sad results which followed the 
introduction of a Tav'ern and Bar in a beauti- 
ful and quiet country town, whose inhabitants 
had hitherto lived in peace and enjoyment 
The contrast is too plainly presented to fail to 
proiiuoe an impression on the reader, making 
ail more desirous to abolish tbe sale of all in- 
toxicants 

• 

Hoy’s Searcii ; or, Lost in the Cars. 
121110, 364 pages. By Helen C. 

Pearson, $1 25 

Tliis new Temperance book is one of the 
most interesting ever published — written in a 
fresi), sparkling style, esi>eciaUy adapted to 
please the boys, an 1 contains so much that 
vili benefit as well ni amuse and interest that 
ve wisli all the boys in tlie land might read it. 

How Coulil He Escape] i2mo, 324 
p^ges. By Mrs. J. NcNair 
W R iQHT, author of “ Jug-Or- 
Not.'* Illustrated with ten en- 
gravings, designed by the au- 
thor, $1 25 

This is a I ue tale, and one of the writer’s 
best productions. It shows the terrible effects 
of even one jjlass of intoxicatin^j liquor upon 
the system ot one unable to resist ita inriuences, 
and the necessity of gi'ace In the lieart to resist 
temptation and overcome the appetite for strong 
drinK. 

The Best Fellow in the World. 
i2ino, 352 pages. By Mrs. J. 
McNair Wright, autnor of “ Jug- 
Or-Not/' ‘‘ How Could He Es- 
cape?” Priest and Nun,” ^25 

“The Best Fellow,” whose course is here 
portrayed, is one of a very large class who are 
fevi astVay and ruined silnply because they are 
such “ g'»od fellows.” To all such the volume 
speaks in thrilling tones of warnhur, sliows the 
Inevitable consequences of indulg'ug in strong 
drink, and the necessity of divine ^rM:ts iu the 
heart to interpose und save from ruin, 

Frank Spencer’s llule of Life. 
i8ino, 180 pages. By John W. 
Kikton, author of Buv V^our 
Own Qherries,” “ Four Pillars of 
Temperance,” etc., etc., . $0 50 

This is written in the author’s best style, 
making an interesting and attractive story lor 
efaildren, 

IVork and Reward. i8mo, 183 pp. 
By Mrs. M. A. Holt, . $0 60 

It shows that not the smallest effort to do 
good is lost sight of by the all-knowing Father, 
and that faith and prayer must accoiDpany all 
♦emperaro* effo3**v 


The Pitcher of Cool Water. i8mo, 
180 pages. By 1'. S. Arthur, 
author of” Tom Bliiin’s Temper- 
ance Society,” “ Ten iSights in a 
Bar-room,” etc., . . . . $0 50 

This little book consists of a series of Tern 
perance stories, handsomely illustrated, written 
in Mr. Arthur’s best style, and is altogether 
one of the best books which can be placed irt 
the hands of children Every Sunday-school 
library should possess it. 

Little Girl in Black. i2mo, 212 
pages. By Margaret E. Wil- 
MER, $0 90 

Her strong faith in God, who she believes 
will reclaim an erring father, is a lesson to the 
reader, old as well as young. 

Teniperaiiee Anecdotes. i2mo, 288 

pages, $1 00 

This new book of Temperance Anecdotes, 
edited by George W. Bu.\‘Gav, contains near- 
ly four hundred Anecdotes, Wiiticisii-t, Jokes, 
Conundrums, etc , original and selected, and 
will meet a want long'felt and often expressed 
by a very large number of the numerous friends 
Oi the cause in the land. The book is hand- 
somely illustrated with twelve choice wood 
engravings. 

The Tettjperanee Speaker. By J. 

N. Stearns, $0 75 

The h4»ok contain.s p.ages of Declamationg 
and Diali»gi>es suit.'ihle lor Sunday and Day- 
schools, Bands of Ho-pe, and Temperance CJr- 
ganizatioQs. It consists oi choice selectione 
of prose And poetry, both new and old, iroin 
the Temperance orators and writers of the 
country, many of whkh b^ve been written ex- 
pressly for this work. 

The McAllisters. iSmo, 211 pages. 
By Mrs. E. J. Richmond, . $0 50 

Itshows the ruin brought on a family by the 
father’s intemperate habits, and the strong 
faith and trust of the wife in that Friend above 
who alone gives strength to bear oar earthly 
trials. 

The Seymours. i2mo, 231 pages. 
By Miss L Bates, . . . $1 00 

A simple story, showing how a refined and 
cultivated family are brought low through the 
drinking habits 6c* the father, their joy and sor- 
row as he reforms only to fall again, and his 
final happy release Iu a distant city. 

Zoa Uodluan. i21do, 262 pages. 
By Mrs, E. J. Richmond. $1 00 

Adaj)ted more especially to young girls’ 
reading, showing the influence they wield in 
society, and tiie'.r responsibility for much of 
iu drinking usages. 


4 


The National Teniperante Society 's Books, 


Time will Tell. i2mo, 307 pages. 
By Mrs. Wilson, .... $f 00 

A Teiiiperiince tale of thrlllhij^ interest and 
unexceptionable moral and religious tone. It 
is full of incidents and characters of everyday 
life, while its lessons are plainly and forcibly 
set before the reader. T)i« pernicious results 
of the tlrinking usages in the family and social 
circle are plainly set forth. 

Philip Eckert’s Struggles and 
Triumphs. i8mo, 216 pages. By 
the author of “ Margaret Clair,’’ 

$0 GO 

This interesting narrative of a noble, manly 
bov* ill ail intemperate liouie, fighting with tlie 
wrong and battling for the right, should be 
re.ad by every chihi in the land. 

Jug- 0 r-Xot. i2mo, 346 pages. By 
Mrs. J. McNair Wright, author 
of “John and the Demijohn,” 
“Almost a Nun,” “ Priest and 
Jun,”etc., $1 25 

Itisoneof her best books, and treats of the 
phj’sical and hered.t try effects of drinking in a 
clear, plain, and familiar style, adapted to 
>opalar 1 eading, an I which shouhl be l e.idby 
all < lasses in the community, and find a place 
in every Sunday-school library. 

The Broken ilock. i8mo, 139 pages. 
By Krona, author of ” Litt a 
Little,” etc., jjiO 50 

It beauti ally illustrates the silent and holy 
influence of a meek and lowly spirit upon the 
heartless ruuiseller uutil the rocky heart w;i3 
broken. 

An(lre>y Douglass, i8mo, 232 pages, 

$0 75 

A ne|v Temperance story for Simday-schooU, 
written in a lively, energetic, and popular 
Ayle, adapted to the Sabbatb-sciiool and the 
family circle. 

Vow at the Bars. i8mo, io8 pages. 

$0 40 

It contains four short tales, illustratingfour 
important principles connected wuli the Tem- 
perance movenieut, andis well adapted for the 
family circle and Sabbath-school libraries. 

Job Tufton’s Best. i2mo, 332 
pages, $1 25 

A story of life’s struggles, written by the 
gifted author, Claba Lucas Balfour, depict- 
ing most skilfully and truthfully many a life- 
struggle with the demon of intemperance 

tiompT Dumpj. laxno^ 316 pp. By 
^ Rev. J. J. Dana, . • . . $1 26 

Id this book, a corner grocery is the source 
of much evil, and a mlsslon-echool, by tti 
CbrlitiaD teachlnge, the tneanf of rascuing 
viaay fron the dowuviju-d path. 






Frank OldfieM ; or, Lost and Found. 
121110, 408 pages, . . . . $1 50 

Th'.s excellent story received the prize ol 
.£100 in England, out of eighty-three manu- 
scripts submitted ; and by an arrangement 
with the publishers we publish it in thia coun- 
try with all the original illustrations. It U 
admirably adapted to Sunday-school libraries. 

Tom Bliiiii’s Temperance Sociei), 
and other Stories. ismo, 316 
pages, $1 25 

This U tlie title of a new book written by 
T. W. Akthur, the well-known author of “ Ten 
Nights in a Bar-room,” and whose fume ns .an 
author should bespeak for it a wide circulation. 
It is written in Mr. Arthub’h best style, oonj 
posed of a series o tales adapted to every fainih^ 
and library in the land. 

The Barker FaniBy. i2ino, 336 
pages. By Emily Thompson, 

$1 25 

A simple, spirited, and interesting narrative, 
written iii a style especially attractive, depict- 
ing the evils that arise from intemperance, and 
the blessings that followed the earnest efforts 
of those who sought to win others to the paths 
ot total abstinence. Illustrated with thr^^-* 
gravings. The book will please all. 


Come Home, Mother. i8mo, 143 
page.s. By Nelsie Brook. Il- 
lustrated with six choice engrav- 
ings, $0 50 

A most effective and interesting book, de- 
scribing the downward course of the motlier, 
and giving an account of the sad scenes, butef- 
fectual eiitieavors, of the little one in bringing 
her mother back to friends, and leading her <o 
God. It should be read by everybody. 

Tim’s Troubles, lamo, 350 pages. 
By Miss M. A. Pal ll, . . .$1 60 

This l6 the seconil Prize Book of the l'nile<J 
Kingdom Band of Hope Union, reprinted In this 
country with all the original illustrations. It 
U the couijianlon of** Frank Oldfield.” writleu 
in a high tone, and will be found a valuahlt 
addition to our Temperance literature. 

Th0 Drinkiug Fountain Stories. 
121110, IQ2 pages, .... $l 00 

This book of illustrated ttoHei for child-en 
obtains articles from some of the best wrlieo 
for children in America, and is beautifully il- 
lustrated with forty choice wood engravings. 

The White Hose. By Mary J. Bedg 
es. i6mo, 320 pages, . . $1 lafi 

The gift of a simple white rose was the ineani 
of leading those who cared for it to the Saviou*. 
How it was done is very pleasantly ttdd, njc4 
|cr 'vronirs refuftMig fu the use of stn^ 

•"‘fik ior«*llil> »hi;wn 


The National Temperance Society s Books 


Esther Maxwell’s Mistake. i8mo, 
236 pages. By Mrs. E. N. Jan- 
vtER, author of “ Andrew Doug- 
lass,” $1 00 

Thi?t book is full of Gospel trutb, and writ- 
ten in a simple but earnest style, showing the 
uttei absuidity of eiuleavoriug to forget trou- 
ble by the use of strong dt ink, which Ksther, 
like ninny otlieis, found soon t'orriietl habits not 
easily broken. Mer sud leii awakening to tnis 
fact, and turning to Iier Saviour for pardon and 
help to renounce the temptation to drink, 
make one ot the most touching narratives 
ever written. 

Wealth and Wine. i2mo, 320 pp. 
By Miss Mary DwinellChellis, 
author of “Temnerance Doc- 
tor,” “ At Lion’s Mouth,” $1 25 

This book is written In her best atyle, show- 
ing the det'fptioii of ilie win*»-cup >and the 
p<»wer of woman's iulluence, togel lier with the 
evil influem e of social and mo lerate <Ir:nking. 
Its moral and Chrisiian tone ia erc’eHent. and 
none can tail to he prolited by its teachings. 

Miscellaneous 

The nasc8 of the Temperance Ue- 
form* i2mo, 224 pages. By Rev. 
Dawson Ri;rns $1 00 

This is an English prize essav, whicli took 
the second prUe undci the liberal offer <.f 
James Tear** for the best essay on the entire 
temperum e question. 

Bacolius Dethroned. lamo, 248 
pages. By Frederick Powell, 

$l 00 

This is an English [Tize essay, written in re- 
•ponse to a prize offered by j«mea Tearc, of 
England, for the best IcinnuVance essay. The 
qut'Etion is p esented in all its phases, physio- 
logical, Social, p'dilical, moral, aud leli- 
gious. It is very comprehensive. 

The Xational Temperance Orator. 
12030 , 288 pp. By Miss L. Pep nky, 

$l 00 

Tills l.s Issued In response to (he nmnv ur- 
gent calls for a book similar lo the ‘‘"New 
T'Mnptniiice Speakei used widely (hrougli- 
oul the count'.y. Is containa articles by the 
bpst tcmp-riMce writers of the day, j>oems, 
recitations, readings, dialogues, ah«l choice 
extracts irom speeches from some of the ablest 
temperance Bpeuktfis in I he country, for the 
use of all temperance workers, Lotlges, Divl- 
siona, Bauds uf Hope, etc., etc. 

Bugle Notes for the Temperance 
Army. Price, paper covers, .‘>0 
cents; boards, $0 (15 

A new collection of Penga, Qunrtela, and 
Glcea, for t!)« use of ali 'IVmpeiance gather- 
ng«* elee cl’jbs, eto., together with the Odes of 
tbf Soni 'IVmper.m*'# an I Gtwid T-mpl ira. 


The Life Cruise of Captain Bess 
Adams. 121x10, 413 pa^es. By 
Mrs. J. McNair \\'right, author 
of Nothing to Drink, etc., $1 60 

A sea-story, tilled with thrilling adventures 
on the deep, and intensely Interesting scenes 
on land in the midst of a quaint old sea-coast 
town, proving effectually tfi.at alcoholic drinks 
are not needed on shipboarti or on land, and 
shoulil be absolutely banished. The brave 
Christian character of Captain Adams and the 
heroi'^iu of Ids daughter, Bess, together with 
the pure religious ton© pervading every page, 
make this one of the most Interesting books 
ever w ritteu. 

The Model Landlord. i8mo. By 
Mrs. M. A. Holt, author of 
‘John Bentlev’s Mistake,” 
‘‘ Work and Reward,” . . $0 GO 

It shows how a “model landlord*' who 
keep" n g Mod saloon for fashionable wine- 
drinkeis, tiiough he may attend church, give 
money to the poor, and circulate In the “ first 
soriHy,’* may be the great**?! instrument In 
leading the ^ oung down to destruction. 

Publications. 

Temperance Chimes. Price, in 
paper covers, 30 cents, single 
copies; ,$25 per hundred. Price, 
in Board covers, 35 cents; per 
hundred, $30 00 

A Temperance I lymn aiivl Tane-Dook of 1-H 
page’*, comprising a gre^it variety of Glees, 
Songs, an«l Hymns designe<l for the use of Tem- 
perance Meetings and Organizations, Bands of 
H..-pe, Gler Clubs, and the Home Circle. Many 
of tlie Hymns liave been written expressly for 
t!iis book by some of the best writers in tbs 
country. 

Bound Volumes of Sermons, $1 60 

Seventeen sernions delivered upon the invi- 
tation of The National Temperance Society, 
and jmblished in the National Series, have all 
been bound in one volume, making -iOd pagei 
of the best temperance matter of the kind ever 
published. The seimons are by Revs. Henry 
Ward Beecher, T L. Cuylcr.T. De M'itt Tal- 
magt*, .1 B. Dunn, John Hall, .1. V. Newman, 
J. W. Mt-ars, C. O, Foss, J. Romevn Berry, 
Herrick Johnson, Peter Stryker, 0. H. Fowler, 
H C. Fisli. H. W« Warren, S. H, Tyng, and 
W. M. Taylor, 

Text-Book of Temperance. By 
Dr. F. R. Lees, . . . . $l 50 

We can also furnish the above book, which is 
divided into the following parts : 1. Temper- 
ance as a Virtue. 2. The Cin-mical History of 
Alcohol. 3 The Dietetics of Temperance. 4. 
Tlia Pathology of Iiitemper mre. 6. The Medi- 
cal Question. G Temperance in Rol.atiou lo 
the B ble. 7. Historical. 8. Tiie National 
Q lestion and the Remedy. 9. The Philosophy 
oi T.anperance. 


The National Temperance Society s Books. 

% 


Forty Years’ Fight with the Drink 
Demon. lamo, 400 pages, liy 
Charles Jewett, M.D., . $1 60 

This volume comprises the liistor}' of Pr. 
Jewett’s public and private labors from 1826 to 
the present time, with sketches of the most 
pojmiar and distinguished advocates of the 
cause in its earlier stages. It also records the 
results of forty years’ observation, study, and 
redi-ctions upon the use of intoxicating drinks 
and drugs, and suggestions as to the best 
metliods 01 advancing the cause, etc. The book 
is handsomely bound, and contains illustrated 
portrait-* of early champions of the cause. 

Drops of Water, lamo, 133 pages. 
By Miss Ella Wheeler, $0 76 

A new book of lifty-six Temperance Poems 
by this young and talented authoress, suitable 
tor reading in Temperance Societies, Lodge 
Rooms, Divisions, etc. The simplicity of man- 
ner, beauty of expression, earnestness of 
thought, and nobleness of sentiment running 
througli all of them make this book a real 
gem, worthy a place by the side of any of the 
poetry in the country. 

Bound Volume of Tracts. 500 
pages, $1 00 

This volume contains all the four, eight, and 

twelve page tracts published by the National 
Temperance Society, tind comprises Argu- 
ments, Statistics, .’^ketches, and Essays, winch 
make it an invaluable collectiou for every 
friend of the Temperance Reforms 

Cound Tolumo of Tracts. No. 2. 

>384 pp., $1 00 

Containing all the twenty-four and forty- 
eight page pamphlets and prize essays publisn- 
ed by the National Temperance Society since 
its organicatioQ. 

Scripture Testunany Ag’ainst In- 
toxicating^ Wine. By Rev. Wm. 
Ritchie, of Scotland, , . $0 60 

.An unanswerable refutation of the theory 
that the Scriptures favor the idea of the 
use of intoxicating wine as a beverage. It 
takes the different Kinds of wines mentioned in 
the Scriptures, investigates their specific na- 
ture, and shows wherein they differ. 

Zoological Temperance Conyention. 

By Rev. Edward Hitchcock, 
^D.D , of Amherst College, $0 76 

This fable gives an interesting and entertain- 
ing account of a Convention of Animals field 
in Central A rica, and reports the 
made on the occasion. 


Delavau’s Consideration of the Tem- 
perance Argument and History, 

$1 oO 

This condensed and comprehensive work con- 
tains Essays and Selections from different au- 
tliors, collected and edited by Edward C. Dk- 
LAVAN, Esq., and is one or' the most valuable 
text-books on the subject of Temperance ever 
issued. 

Bible Rule of Temperance ; or, 
Total Abstinence from all Intox- 
icating Drinks. By Rev. George 
Duffielu, D.D., . . . , .$0 60 

This is the ablest and most reliable work 
which has been issued oji the subject. The im- 
morality of the us , sale, an I manufacture of 
intoxicating liquors as a beverage is cons dered 
in the light of the ^criptures, and the will and 
law of God clearly^presenled 

Alcohol: Its Nature and Effects. 
By Charles A. Storey, M.D., 

$0 90 

This is a thoroughly scientific work, yet 
written in afresh, vigorous, aiul popular style, 
in language that tlie masses can understand. 
It consists of ten lectures carefully prepared, 
and is an enti»iy new work by one amply com- 
petent to present the subject. 

Four Pillars of Temperance. By 
John W. Kirton, . . . $0 75 

The Four Pillars are. Reason, Science, Scrip- 
ture, and Experience. The book is argumenta- 
tive, historical, and statistical, and the facts, 
appeals, and arguments are presented in a most 
convincing and masterly maimer. 

Communion Wine ; or, Bible Tem- 
perance. By Rev. William M. 
Thayer. Paper, 20 cents ; cloth, 

.$0 eo-i 

An unanswerable argument against the use 
of intoxicating wine at Communion, and pre- 
senting the Bible argument in favor of total 
abstinence. 

Bible Wines; ; or. The Laws of Fer- 
mentation and Wines of tlie 
Ancients. i 2 mo. 139 pages. By 
Rev. Wm. Patton, D.D. l^ape:. 
80 cts. ; cloth .$0 60 

It presents the whole matter of BUde 1 'em- 
perauce and the wines of ancient times in a 
new, clear, and satisSartory manner, develop- 
ing the laws of fermeniation, and giving a large 
number of references and statistira never before 
collected, showing conclusively the existence of 
unfermented wine in the olden time. 

Alcohol: Its Place and Power, by 
James Miller ; and The Use and 
Abuse of Tobacco, by John Li- 
5 If* 


The National Temperance Society s Books 

K 


The Medical Use of Alcohol. Three 
Lectures by Jamks Edmi’nds, 
M.D.. Member of the Royal Col- 
lege of Pliysicians of London, 
Senior Physician to the London 
Temperance Hospital. ^^lamo, 96 
pp. Paper cover, 25 cents ; 
cloth, $0 60 

Pr. KilinuniU 1* one of the physician* 

of Eiiclan'l, lia* tlioi’oiijiliiy ttudieii the whole 
question from a Medical atand-point, and not 


in the tutereet of the ranee of Temperance. It 
1*, howcTer, clearly ehown that Science and 
Temperance both point In one direction, and 
this booh should find it* way into every houee- 
hold in the land. • 

The three Lecture* are a* follow*; 

1. The Medical U«e of .tlcohol. 

2. Stimulant* for Women and Nursing 

Mothers. 

S. The Dietetic U*e of Alcohol. 

It i* a full am! reiiable exp .ition from one 
of the ablest piivslcians of the world, and w# 
hope it will be widely circulated. 


The Youth’s Temperance Banner 

The National Temperance Suciety and Publication House publish a beautifully illustrated 
Monthly Paper, especially adapted to children and youth, Sunday-school and Juvenile Tem- 
perance Organizations. Eacli number contains several tlioice engravings, a piece of music, and a 
great variety of articles from the pens of the best writerjjfrr children in America. It should be 
Disced in the hands of every child in the land 


TERMS IN ADVANCE. rNCLDDENQ POSTAGE : 


single copy, one year.. $0 35 

Eight, to one address 1 08 

Ten, “ “ 1 85 

Twenty, “ “ 2 70 


Thirty copies to one address.... $4 05 

Forty, “ “ 5 40 

Fifty. ‘‘ » 6 75 

Oneliundred, “ 18 00 


THE NATIONAL TEMPERANCE ADVOCATE. 

The National Temperance Society and Publication House publish a 
Wonthly Temperance Papof, the object of which Is to promote the interests 
of the cause of Temperance hy disseminating light from every quarter upon 
It'S moral, social, financial, and scientific bearings. The best talent In the land 
will l>e secured for its editors and contributors. Terms in advance. Including 
postage, one dollar and ten cents a year. 10 copies, to one address, $10; IW 
copies, to one address, $18. All over 20 at the last-named rate, which includes 
nostage. 


Twenty-four Pag-e Pamphlets. (With Covers.) 


Five Cents each; (>0 Cents per Uoz. 


vs AlCOIloI Fond i 
Physiological .Action of Alcohol. 
Adulteration of Liquors. 

Wtll the Coming Mau Drink Winel 
ffittorv and Mystery of a Ulas* of Al*. 
IflSI,. Teetolalism. 


Medicinal Drinking. 

Drinking Usages of Society. 
Fruit* of the Liquor Traffic, 
li Alcohol a Necessary of Lit* t 
A High Fence of Fifteen Bar* 
The of Mv Friend. 


Band of Hope Supplies, 


Band, of Hope Manual. Per dozen, $0 60 
Temperance Catechism. Per dozen, 60 

Band of Hope Melodies. Paper, 10 

Band of Hope Badge. Enamelled, $1 25 
per dozen; 12 cents singly. Pisin, 

$1 per dozen ; 10 cents singly. 

Silver and Enamelled, 60 cents 
each. 

Sec t by mall, post-paid, on receipt of price. 


Juvenile Temperance Speaker, - - $0 2| 

illuminated Tempeiance Cards. Set of 

ten. - . ' . . 35 

Juvenile Temperance Pledges. Per 100, 3 00 
Certificates of Membership Per 100, - 3 00 
The Temperance Speaker, ... 75 

Catechism on Alcohol. By Miss Julia 

Colman. Per dozen, . - - M 

Address 


Addrcbs J, Pubiii^hnig Agent, 


5S Jiende Sfrect, A''etp lorJk, 




•Vi'_ 


> 


V.v 


% 





• a 





^•o 




« .#* 


.*> 


-4_ 

* \ 


IV 





A’ 




-J 

l< 




ba I 




♦^* 


f 

4' 


: vV . 


• » 






I 


r - 


I 

' . '.Tr • 


I • 


I' 


1 ‘ - ^ •* ■ 


‘V ^ • 




■f 


i Vi 


%4 V 


. V 


I • 


*?7r 




A 

1 « 


4% 


' J 


f » 


*• "r 


• ^ 


• f 




• * rJ - 

»w* ^ •^* 
,%• 


• • 


» i 

% 


\' 


> 

*4 


% /» 




IK_ ^ 

Ik! • > 


oilM 


« 


>f»! 


i>l 




• . 


# » 

• • 


./«V 


•/i‘ 


<. rf* 




.•>i% 




^ • V • • A» * — ^ S ^ . - AV * fV 

V'^** *V iIvTS 

• •• • . 1?^ "JCLL3 'r V\T*’ V ^ 


'i: 


i « 


I 






f »'.*.• ^ V- • \ > : .*»^ •' . ' /5I, ■• V 

: ^ .> .•^ * .' .*_*r A - < 

4. -v V.'. ‘, 1^;' 

•• . ITA * 

/ ' ■ 




/ ^ 




, v;^' ''.v-.':> _ ' /-(is 




< • 


c' 


* r 


>v- 


.<■... • • : 

•:ll 'V ’ ' : 

■Cl**-- ^i 


V ■) K 


4 • 






V * 


• ^ 

» »■ 


'• I 


> >: 


• /. 

« A 


.;^ ’.v 


•- **? ' ' 

* 'ft V » ^ 


4 . 


. / ^^ •'• 4^ 


:it;; 


• /».'/%• * ' S'- 




V 


^ A' 

ir/4| • i 

A 

P m 


I I 


• » 


f 


tV‘ ^ •*• 

* kl-’" ^ 


Wr '». 






“V • c 

W. 


L • 


V 

• V. 

1 • . 






■ S.1 • 

• I f-^ 


w" , : -', 

var'.^ ■• . 


I < 


» ?*<■ 


ir-' 

•1 




A# 





I 

.4 . 


At A 


1 V 


.W1 


• • v' 

A 

m‘ a j 



? i 




♦ 

J • i * 


\'i 


• A 


• • 


. ♦ » 4 '. . . 0-^ 


V 

1 . 


7 


4 I 


;-f 

4. 


r • 








< 

4 


'^vv 

V ' 


s‘ I 


.r 


k 


. «v 


V\.'i 


V- , ..^1 


* •»« 

•< ; •. 


: r, V 


. . >1 k 


1a 

/ • 




f 


; . /li'i : 

^>U. • -M. 


■<.v. 


» I I 






%% 


^ .r-: 


I 

^ ♦ 


ti 


• • 


P' ^ 


‘i- 




\ i • 

<z 

M IS ' 




u 

i i1 


> 


A 


i'lr‘‘- 

, V . 

. ,1^ > 


-I* 


\ 


\ . ’f 

* 4 

> .N 




^ V 

% 


‘.'fc 


4 ^ 








\ 


'mm 


v£ 


. \ 


. J 


t « 

• i--' t .. 


oSl 


«# 


\ 4^ 


\ 4 


i: > u\/i 



" J ^ . 

1 

^^4 


if 


4 4 


f, 




• « 




" • % J 


I • 


* A 


*• - ./ 


v-« fSmv 



V 4 




••.■,'■' m * *Aty ;.v • 




*.»■ J 


> H 


V V 


4 


r 

4 . '. 


« « 

V I 

. I 


V. 





u 




^.iNlslklr T’ 


'.1^^ 4 ‘•*>.<1 


I » 

1 « 




V - Vu»‘ « 


I # 


.« 


*• 




• 4' 


^ • ' i** >1* 








4 . 




Jr.. 

s 


’ ■ 'i^ 


4* 


r. 





^4 


:.,,’TftV*;-:V! 


I ^ 


'y 


$ y 


4 t 


% • 


■ ryv: 

• »• • .♦* * 


• « 




‘ ,» ■ 


4 ♦ 


. « 


■-.v', " •' 


.. ; 

I .1 


-/ 1' 


























UBRARY OF CONGRESS 



□ 00mt.HT3E3 



